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A    LITTLE    GARRISON 


A  Little  Garrison 

A  REALISTIC  NOVEL  of  GER- 
MAN ARMY  LIFE  of  TO-DAY 

By  FRITZ  VON  DER  KYRBURG 

(Lieutenant  Bilse)  •  Translated,  Edited 
and  with  a  Special  Introduction  by 

WOLF  VON  SCHIERBRAND 
Author  of  "  GERMANY  :  THE  WELDING  or  A  WORLD 
POWER,"  "THE  KAISER'S  SPEECHES,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


NEW  YORK  •  FREDERICK  A. 
STOKES    COMPANY  •  Publishers 


Copyright,  1904, 
BY  FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY. 

All  righti  reserved. 


This  edition  published  in  January,  1904. 


THE  UNIVERSITY  PRESS 
CAMBRIDGE,     U.  S.  A. 


Contents 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTION v11 

CHAPTER 

I.    An  Evening  Party  at  Captain  Konig's  .      .  I 

II.    What  Happened  at  the  Casino  Dance  .      .  29 

III.  The  Consequences  of  a  May  Bowl.      .      .  63 

IV.  The  Case  of  Sergeant  Schmitz   ....  80 
V.    Officers  at  a  Masquerade H° 

VI.    A  Sensational  Event  stirs  the  Garrison  .      .  161 

VII.    An  Airy  Structure  Collapses       ....  207 

VIII.    Changes  in  the  Garrison 264 

IX.    Resignations  are  in  Order 282 

X.    Unto  This  Last 3O1 


2135123 


Introduction 

IN  his  book,  Le  Debacle,  Zola  shows  in  a 
vivid  and  intelligible  manner  the  downfall 
of  Napoleon  III.  and  his  army,  and  paints  in 
his  usual  matter-of-fact  tints  the  actual  condi- 
tion of  the  great  host  led  forth  to  destruction. 
He  makes  us  read  in  the  soul  of  the  common 
French  soldier  and  in  that  of  his  commanding 
officer.  The  keen  analysis  of  the  characters  he 
portrays  enables  us  humanly  to  understand  the 
catastrophe  on  the  plains  of  Sedan.  The  whole 
Second  Empire  undermined  by  corruption;  the 
army,  head  and  front,  honeycombed  with  loose 
morals,  favoritism,  and  boundless  conceit,  —  we 
begin  to  perceive  the  main  reasons  underlying 
the  utter  defeat  of  a  gallant  nation.  And  this 
all  the  more  when,  side  by  side  with  the  sombre 
painting  of  Zola,  we  read  the  God-fearing  let- 
ters written  home  from  the  reeking  battlefields 
by  William  I.  and  his  Iron  Chancellor, 
vii 


INTRODUCTION 

Indeed,  when  the  conquering  German  legions 
returned,  in  the  spring  of  1871,  to  their  own 
firesides,  they  presented  a  body  of  men  of  whom 
any  nation  might  have  been  proud.  Elated  they 
were  at  their  unparalleled  successes,  but  not 
puffed-up  or  vainglorious. 

A  generation  has  passed  since  then.  Is  the 
German  army  of  to-day  still  of  the  same  metal  ? 
Does  it,  as  a  body,  still  show  the  same  sterling 
qualities  which  led  it  to  victory  after  victory  on 
the  soil  of  France? 

Alas,  no.  On  that  point  the  best  and  clearest 
minds  in  Germany  itself  are  agreed.  Foreign 
military  leaders  who  have  had  opportunity  to 
watch  the  German  soldier  of  to-day  at  play  and 
at  work,  have  sent  home  reports  to  their  respec- 
tive governments,  saying :  "  These  are  not  the 
men  that  won  in  1870!  " 

A  couple  of  years  ago  several  American  offi- 
cers of  high  rank,  fresh  from  the  Philippines, 
witnessed  the  great  autumn  manoeuvres  of  the 
German  army,  conducted  under  the  supreme 
command  of  William  II.  One  of  them,  after 
viewing  in  stark  amazement  the  senseless  at- 
tacks of  whole  cavalry  divisions  up  steep  declivi- 
viii 


INTRODUCTION 

ties  or  down  slippery  embankments,  exposed  all 
the  while  to  a  withering  fire  from  the  rifles  of 
infantry  masses,  said  to  the  present  writer :  "  If 
this  were  actual  war,  not  a  horse  or  man  would 
be  left  alive !  " 

In  the  Reichstag,  the  national  parliament  of 
Germany,  many  have  been  the  heated  debates 
and  scorching  has  been  the  bitter  satire  passed 
during  recent  years  upon  the  German  army  of 
to-day.  And  not  only  the  solid  phalanx  of 
Socialists  did  the  criticising  on  such  occasions, 
but  also  not  a  few  members  of  every  other 
party,  even  including  those  of  the  Conservative 
Faction,  composed  of  men  who  are  the  very 
representatives  of  the  caste  from  which  the 
Empire's  corps  of  officers  have  sprung. 

The  German  newspaper  press  has  sounded  of 
late  years,  again  and  again,  the  note  of  alarm, 
dwelling  in  scathing  articles  on  signs  of  deca- 
dence in  the  nation's  whilom  pride,  —  the  army. 
It  has  pointed  out  the  growing  spirit  of  luxury 
in  its  ranks,  the  wholesale  abuse  of  power  by 
the  officers  and  sergeants,  the  looseness  of  dis- 
cipline, the  havoc  wrought  by  "  army  usurers," 
the  "  money  marriages,"  so  much  in  vogue  with 
ix 


INTRODUCTION 

debt-ridden  officers,  the  hard  drinking  and  lax 
morals  prevailing,  the  gaming  for  high  stakes, 
which  is  another  festering  sore,  and  leads  to 
the  ruin  of  so  many,  —  and  a  whole  train  of 
other  evils.  The  professional,  that  is,  the  mili- 
tary, press  has  joined  in  this  chorus  in  more 
subdued  tones. 

Throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
Empire  a  spirit  of  disquiet,  nay,  of  apprehen- 
sion, has  spread.  Are  the  very  foundations 
trembling  on  which  the  reunited  "  fatherland  " 
rests  ? 

If  any  reliance  can  be  placed  on  an  unbroken 
chain  of  evidence  it  would  seem  so  indeed. 

It  was  in  1786  that  Frederick  the  Great  died, 
leaving  an  army  that  he  had  raised  to  the  pin- 
nacle of  fame.  With  this  army  he  had  faced 
and  vanquished,  standing  at  bay  against  almost 
the  whole  of  continental  Europe,  his  powerful 
foes.  Little  Prussia,  a  straggling  strip  of  ter- 
ritory stretching  from  the  ice-bound  Niemen  to 
the  vine-clad  Rhine,  Frederick's  genius  had 
lifted  until  it  took  rank  with  the  powers  that 
prescribe  laws  to  the  world. 

A  score  of  years  later,  just  one  short  score, 


INTRODUCTION 

the  hills  of  Jena  looked  down  upon  the  crush- 
ing, disgraceful  defeat  of  this  same  Prussian 
army.  The  country  was  dismembered,  and  as 
a  political  force  ceased  to  exist.  The  heel  of 
the  Corsican  despot  was  on  its  neck.  Even 
after  the  restoration  of  Prussia  by  the  Vienna 
Congress  in  1815,  it  required  another  half-cen- 
tury to  give  her  back  her  lost  prestige.  Sadowa 
and  Sedan  reinstated  Prussia,  and  with  her  the 
allied  states  of  Germany  in  her  former  glory. 

Is  another  Jena  coming? 
Are  we  on  the  eve  of  another  international 
upheaval  ? 

A  little  book  has  recently  appeared  in  Ger- 
many. Its  title  is  unpretentious.  Aus  einer 
kleinen  Garnison  ("A  Little  Garrison")  does 
not  sound  very  sensational.  The  book,  besides, 
was  written  by  a  simple  lieutenant,  Bilse  by 
name.  There  was  apparently  nothing  to  arouse 
public  attention  in  its  appearance. 

And  yet,  from  the  instant  of  its  publication, 
this  little  book  did  arouse  such  attention;  more 
than  that,  it  grew  into  an  enormous  sensational 
xi 


INTRODUCTION 

event,  and  led  to  developments  of  such  a  serious 
character  that  their  consequences  will  be  felt  for 
many  years  to  come.  Indeed  it  seems  likely 
that  this  little  book  will  indirectly  be  the  means 
of  the  moral  reformation  of  the  entire  German 
army. 

Shortly  after  its  appearance  the  authorship  of 
Lieutenant  Bilse,  who  had  written  under  the 
pen  name  of  Fritz  von  der  Kyrburg,  was  dis- 
covered. A  court-martial  was  promptly  con- 
vened, and  he  was  summoned  to  appear  before 
this  military  tribunal. 

Mail  reports  now  to  hand  of  this  memorable 
trial  show  that  it  created  intense  interest  in 
Germany,  that  it  was  regarded,  indeed,  as  a 
cause  celebre  of  the  first  magnitude.  The  in- 
terest in  the  case  was  largely  due  to  the  belief 
that  Lieutenant  Bilse' s  novel  —  for  he  had  given 
his  terrible  arraignment  of  the  army  the  out- 
ward semblance  of  a  novel  —  presented  a  true, 
if  highly  unflattering,  picture  of  conditions  as 
they  exist  in  many  German  garrison  towns. 
This  impression  was  borne  out  by  the  evidence, 
which  tended  to  corroborate  the  account  given 
by  Lieutenant  Bilse  of  the  moral  tone  and  the 
xii 


INTRODUCTION 

standard  of  discipline  prevailing  among  the  offi- 
cers. Part  of  the  revelations  have  not  been 
made  public,  as  the  examination  of  some  wit- 
nesses was  conducted  in  camera.  It  is  under- 
stood that  their  evidence  was  of  a  highly 
sensational  character. 

In  his  examination,  Lieutenant  Bilse  stated 
that  since  entering  the  service  he  had  "  lost  all 
his  illusions  concerning  the  character  and  duties 
of  an  officer's  calling."  He  declared  that  the 
social  and  regimental  tone  of  the  frontier  gar- 
rison towns  was  extremely  low,  and  that  the 
repeated  instances  of  lax  discipline,  favoritism, 
and  loose  living  which  he  had  observed  had 
provoked  him  to  write  his  book. 

In  not  a  single  instance  were  the  facts  of 
the  various  incidents  and  events  which  form, 
grouped  in  a  loose  tissue,  the  body  of  his  book 
disproved  or  even  weakened  by  the  testimony 
produced  at  the  trial. 

Nevertheless  the  court-martial  sentenced  the 
young  officer  to  six  months'  imprisonment  and 
to  dismissal  from  the  service  "  for  libelling  his 
superior  and  commanding  officers  by  the  pub- 
lication of  writings  in  a  peculiarly  offensive 
xiii 


INTRODUCTION 

and  damaging  form,  and  also  for  a  breach  of 
service  regulations." 

The  lieutenant  was  undoubtedly  guilty  of  a 
breach  of  regulations,  as  an  officer  in  Germany 
is  prohibited  from  publishing  any  printed  matter 
except  over  his  true  name,  and  is  required  to 
give  notice  of  his  intention  to  the  military 
authorities,  —  a  rule  which  the  young  man  had 
violated. 

The  German  press,  in  its  comments  on  the 
case,  admits  that  it  has  an  importance  far  be- 
yond the  person  of  the  accused. 

The  Berlin  Post,  one  of  the  chief  organs  of 
the  aristocracy  in  Germany,  said : 

"  In  the  interest  of  the  army's  good  name  it  is 
urgently  requisite  that  abuses  such  as  have  been 
partly  disclosed  should  be  speedily  and  thoroughly 
eradicated." 

The  Berlin  Tageblatt,  a  leading  paper,  said : 

"  Lieutenant  Bilse's  book  should  be  seriously  pon- 
dered in  high  places." 

The  Vossische  Zeitung,  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  respected  journals  at  the  German  capital, 
made  this  comment: 

xiv 


INTRODUCTION 

"  That  such  things  could  be  possible  in  German 
military  corps  would  have  seemed  impossible  to  the 
most  malevolent  critic  .  .  .  the  public  confidence 
must  be  restored." 

The  Hamburg  Nachrichten,  Bismarck's  old 
organ,  says: 

"  We  regret  to  admit  that  the  picture  is  not 
overdrawn." 

And  that  is  the  tenor  of  all  the  comment  of 
the  entire  German  press.  In  the  neighboring 
countries,  in  the  house  of  Germany's  friends, 
Austria  and  Italy,  the  comment  was  even  more 
outspoken;  while  in  France  and  Russia,  al- 
though their  political  affiliations  are  not  pre- 
cisely friendly  to  Germany,  more  forbearance 
was  shown. 

The  Bilse  book  and  the  Bilse  case  have 
since  formed  the  theme  of  divers  debates  in 
the  Reichstag.  On  an  interpellation  from  some 
of  the  delegates,  the  Minister  of  War,  General 
von  Einem,  made  some  interesting  admissions. 
He  did  not  deny  that  Bilse  had  stated,  in  the 
guise  of  fiction,  established  facts;  nor  did  he 
repudiate  the  statement  that  the  conditions  de- 


INTRODUCTION 

scribed  by  the  author  existed  in  duplicate  form 
or  worse  in  many  garrisons  of  the  empire. 

The  Kaiser  himself  was  forced,  much  against 
his  will,  to  take  notice  of  Bilse's  book.  A  de- 
tailed report  was  made  to  him  by  the  chief 
of  his  Private  Military  Cabinet,  General  von 
Hiilsen-Haseler,  on  all  the  essential  facts  un- 
derlying the  plot  of  A  Little  Garrison.  He 
expressed  himself  as  much  grieved  at  the  ter- 
rible revelations  in  it.  In  their  totality  they 
presented  a  state  of  facts  of  which  he  himself, 
thoroughly  acquainted  as  he  had  deemed  him- 
self to  be  with  conditions  in  his  army,  had  been 
ignorant. 

The  immediate  outcome  of  this  conviction  on 
his  part  was  the  issuance  of  a  secret  decree  di- 
rected to  the  various  commanders  of  the  twenty- 
three  army  corps  composing  his  army.  In 
this  decree  he  called  the  attention  of  these  com- 
manders to  the  awful  conditions  laid  bare  in 
Bilse's  book,  and  bade  them  watch  hereafter 
with  greater  zeal  over  the  morals  and  discipline 
of  their  various  corps.  The  decree  he  ordered 
to  be  read  by  each  commanding  colonel  to  his 
subordinate  officers,  threatening  with  expulsion 
xvi 


INTRODUCTION 

from  the  army  any  officer  who  should  hereafter 
be  guilty  of  such  heinous  behavior  as  exempli- 
fied by  the  characters  in  Bilse's  book. 

It  might,  therefore,  be  supposed  that  a  thor- 
ough reform  of  the  whole  moral  status  of  the 
German  army  was  now  under  way,  or  that  it 
had  been  at  least  initiated  by  this  action  of  the 
Kaiser.  Certainly,  there  is  no  one  in  all  Ger- 
many who  takes  a  deeper  interest  than  he  in 
the  welfare  of  his  army,  or  who  has  a  pro- 
founder  conviction  of  its  importance  in  main- 
taining the  empire's  proud  position  as  a  world 
power.  On  many  occasions  the  Kaiser  has  em- 
phasized his  belief  that  this,  "  the  most  precious 
legacy  "  left  him  by  his  grandfather,  must  be 
kept  intact  to  secure  his  own  throne  and  the 
nation's  predominance  in  the  heart  of  Europe. 

But  it  would  be  short-sighted  to  assume  this. 
The  causes  that  have  been  at  work  for  thirty 
years  past,  undermining  and  honeycombing  the 
whole  structure  of  the  German  army,  are  too 
manifold,  too  much  ingrained  in  the  very  fibre 
of  the  German  people  of  to-day,  and  too  com- 
plex to  yield  at  the  mere  bidding  of  even  so 
b  xvii 


INTRODUCTION 

imperious  a  voice  as  the  Kaiser's.  Bilse,  in  his 
book,  lays  a  pitiless  finger  on  the  ulcers  that 
have  been  festering  and  growing  in  the  bosom 
of  the  army;  but  his  story,  after  all,  is  that  of 
only  one  small  garrison,  and  refers  to  but  a 
brief  period  in  the  very  recent  past. 

It  may  be  worth  while,  in  order  to  give  the 
reader  a  more  comprehensive  and  more  general 
view  of  conditions  in  the  German  army  of  to- 
day, briefly  to  survey  some  patent  facts. 

The  wide  spread  of  the  gambling  spirit  is  one 
of  these.  Against  it  the  Kaiser  has  inveighed  in 
army  orders  since  his  accession  to  the  throne, 
but  all  in  vain.  This  evil  spirit  is  as  strong  to- 
day as  ever.  It  was  but  a  few  years  ago  that  a 
monster  trial  took  place  in  Hanover.  It  showed 
a  frightful  state  of  rottenness  within  even  the 
most  renowned  regiments  —  those  of  the  Guard 
Corps,  in  which  the  scions  of  nobility  hold  it 
an  honor  to  serve.  The  details  of  this  trial  were 
a  shock  to  the  whole  country,  and  it  ended  by 
dismissal  or  expulsion  from  the  army  of  a  score 
of  officers  bearing,  some  of  them,  the  most  an- 
cient and  honored  names  within  the  empire. 
Even  one  of  the  Kaiser's  own  aides-de-camp 
xviii 


INTRODUCTION 

issued  from  it  with  a  reputation  so  besmirched 
as  to  lead  to  his  hasty  retirement.  More  recently 
still  the  Club  of  Innocents  (Club  der  Harm- 
losen)  became  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes,  but 
unenviably  so.  It  was  not,  strictly  speaking,  a 
military  club,  but  it  counted  in  its  membership 
list  a  majority  of  active  army  officers.  I  will 
not  go  into  details,  but  merely  mention  that  one 
of  the  chief  victims  of  the  diabolical  machina- 
tions practised  by  a  number  of  high-titled  black- 
legs —  officers  of  this  club  —  was  young  Prince 
Alfred,  a  grandson  of  the  late  Queen  Victoria, 
whose  complete  moral  and  physical  ruin  was 
wrought,  soon  followed  by  his  death.  The 
Jockey  Club  in  Berlin,  made  up  largely  of  offi- 
cers, and  similar  organizations  in  Potsdam, 
Charlottenburg,  Hanover,  Cassel,  Dresden, 
Brunswick,  Cologne,  and,  in  fact,  nearly  every 
other  garrison  town  of  any  importance  within 
the  empire,  have  all  had  their  list  of  scandals 
during  recent  years,  —  scandals  brought  about 
by  unprincipled  gamesters  belonging  to  their 
corps  of  officers.  Probably  several  thousands 
of  resignations,  semi-enforced  retirements,  or 
outright  dismissals  from  the  army  have  been 
xix 


INTRODUCTION 

due  during  the  last  decade  to  this  one  evil  of 
high  play  alone. 

The  hard  drinking  indulged  in  throughout 
the  army,  to  a  degree  which  to  the  ignorant  out- 
sider seems  incredible,  is  another  evil  of  perhaps 
as  great  magnitude.  Of  that  Bilse's  book  gives 
a  faithful  impression.  For  these  excessive 
drinking  habits,  and  in  an  equal  degree  for  the 
luxurious  habits  of  life,  more  particularly  the 
indulgence  in  sybarite  banquets,  the  Kaiser  him- 
self must  be  held  largely  to  blame,  since,  by 
force  of  example  at  the  many  "  love  feasts " 
(Liebesmdhler)  and  anniversary  celebrations  of 
every  kind  which  he  not  only  attends  at  the 
quarters  of  the  various  regiments  throughout 
the  German  domain,  but  which  he  very  fre- 
quently arranges  for  or  encourages  himself,  he 
has  taught  his  army  officers  a  direful  lesson. 
Certainly,  the  old  Spartan  simplicity  in  food  and 
drink  which  prevailed  in  German  army  circles 
during  the  days  of  William  I.,  grandfather  of 
the  present  ruler,  has  gone  forever. 

A  direct  outgrowth  of  the  luxuriousness  prev- 
alent in  the  German  army  of  to-day  is  two  other 
evils  which  in  their  consequences  on  the  morals 
xx 


INTRODUCTION 

of  the  officers  can  scarcely  be  overrated.  They 
are  epitomized  by  the  two  words  "  army  usury  " 
and  "  money  marriages."  To  live  beyond  one's 
means  leads  to  indebtedness.  And  there  we 
have  the  simple  genesis  of  the  army  usurer,  so- 
called.  He  exists  and  thrives  in  every  garrison 
in  the  empire,  and  the  broad  swath  he  mows 
within  the  ranks  of  the  army  testifies  to  his  dili- 
gence and  to  his  successful  methods.  It  would 
be  going  too  far  to  expatiate  on  this  matter. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  system  by  which  the 
usurer  brings  hundreds,  nay  thousands,  to  dis- 
grace and  premature  retirement  from  the  army, 
usually  involving  the  impoverishment  of  the 
officers'  families,  is  wellnigh  perfection  in  itself. 
Within  his  net  are  driven,  at  some  time  or  other, 
the  vast  majority  of  the  younger  men  as  well 
as  a  great  many  of  the  older  ones. 

The  favorite  avenue  of  escape  offered  to  the 
young  spendthrift  officer  is  a  so-called  money 
marriage.  He  barters  himself,  his  social  posi- 
tion, and  the  prestige  which  the  ownership  of 
an  old  and  honored  name  still  carries  with  it 
in  Germany,  for  the  gold  which  his  bride  brings 
him  on  the  wedding  day.  Dowries  must  of 
xxi 


INTRODUCTION 

course  correspond  in  some  measure  with  the 
load  of  debt  the  young  officer  has  been  accumu- 
lating for  years,  and  also  with  his  claims  to  dis- 
tinction and  attractiveness.  Such  dowries  vary 
between  a  paltry  twenty  thousand  and  several 
million  marks,  strictly  according  to  circum- 
stances. There  is  an  unwritten  code  in  force  in 
this  respect,  every  paragraph  of  which  is  made 
and  provided  to  cover  the  individual  needs  of 
such  impecunious  officers.  The  matter  is  well 
understood  throughout  the  land,  and  is  looked 
upon  as  an  established  institution,  something  in 
which  squeamish  scruples  are  not  allowed  to 
interfere  with  concrete  requirements.  No  Ger- 
man maiden  consciously  feels  the  shame  of 
being  thus  made  purely  an  object  of  barter  and 
sale.  She  is  to  the  manner  bred.  But  of  course 
good,  fat  dowries  are  often  taken  by  officers, 
together  with  brides,  who  in  other  respects  by 
no  means  realize  their  ideas  of  what  a  wife 
should  be.  Enough  said  on  this  dreary  subject! 
Still  another  evil,  and  one  which  of  late  has 
been  much  ventilated  in  Germany,  is  the  abuse 
of  power  by  officers  and  non-commissioned 
officers  towards  their  subordinates.  There  has 


xxn 


INTRODUCTION 

always  been  too  much  of  this  in  the  German 
army,  and  it  would  carry  us  too  far  afield  to 
trace  here  the  causes.  In  itself  it  seems  a  strange 
anomaly  that  in  an  army  which  calls  itself  by 
the  proud  term  of  a  "  nation  in  arms,"  and 
whose  membership  is  recruited  from  every  stra- 
tum of  society,  there  should  be  such  wholesale 
maltreatment  of  the  privates  by  their  superior 
officers.  And  yet  such  is  the  fact,  inexpli- 
cable as  it  seems  at  first  sight.  Against  this 
curse  the  Kaiser  has  likewise  launched  his 
thunderbolts  at  some  time  or  other.  But  they 
have  had  no  effect.  If  anything  there  has  been 
an  increase  in  such  cases. 

At  a  Reichstag  session,  in  the  middle  of  De- 
cember, the  Kaiser's  spokesman,  General  von 
Einem,  made  the  formal  admission  that  during 
the  preceding  year  no  fewer  than  fifty  officers 
and  five  hundred  and  seventy-nine  non-commis- 
sioned officers  had  been  court-martialed  and 
sentenced  for  cruelly  maltreating  their  subor- 
dinates. When  we  reflect  that  scarcely  in  one 
case  out  of  every  hundred  formal  charges  are 
preferred  by  the  victims,  who  know  themselves 
completely  in  the  power  of  their  tyrannous 
xxiii 


INTRODUCTION 

masters,  the  official  record  thus  stated  is  indeed 
appalling.  But  here  again  the  Kaiser  himself, 
as  chief  commander  of  the  army,  must  be  held 
largely  responsible;  for  his  more  than  lenient 
treatment  of  the  convicted  offenders  is  nothing 
less  than  a  direct  encouragement  to  their  fel- 
lows to  continue  in  these  fiendish  practices. 
One  sergeant,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Franzki, 
belonging  to  the  Eighty-fifth  Regiment  of  the 
Infantry,  was  shown  at  the  trial  to  have  been 
guilty  of  no  less  than  twelve  hundred  and  fifty 
individual  cases  of  cruelty  and  of  one  hundred 
cases  of  abuse  of  power.  Another  man,  Lieu- 
tenant Schilling,  of  the  Ninety-eighth  Regi- 
ment of  Infantry,  stationed  in  Metz,  had  a 
record  against  him  of  over  a  thousand  such 
cases.  Both  men  were  recently  tried  and  con- 
victed, and  the  degree  of  their  punishment 
seems  strangely  inadequate.  Yet  in  most  in- 
stances the  Kaiser  does  not  even  allow  these 
convicted  offenders  to  serve  out  their  brief 
terms  of  confinement,  but  issues  free  pardons 
to  them  after  they  have  undergone  but  a  small 
portion  of  their  penalty. 

However,  from  several  points  of  view,  the 
xxiv 


INTRODUCTION 

most  serious  evil  of  all  that  has  grown  up  within 
the  German  army  since  the  close  of  the  Franco- 
German  War  of  1870-1871  is  the  cleavage  in 
sentiment  between  the  army  and  the  nation. 
That  also  has  been  demonstrable  on  many  occa- 
sions during  recent  years.  I  recall  the  case  of 
Lieutenant  von  Briisewitz,  of  Carlsruhe.  This 
young  officer  ran  his  sword  through  the  back  of 
a  defenceless  civilian  by  whom  he  fancied  him- 
self insulted  in  a  restaurant,  the  man  dying 
within  a  few  hours  of  the  deed.  His  murderer 
attempted  no  other  exculpation,  or  indeed  ex- 
planation, than  by  saying  that  according  to  the 
army  code  of  honor  he  was  forced  to  avenge  on 
the  spot  the  insult  offered  him.  Briisewitz  was 
sentenced  to  merely  a  mild  type  of  confinement 
for  a  term  of  two  years,  but  was  pardoned  by 
the  Kaiser  at  the  expiration  of  a  twelvemonth. 
A  more  recent  case  was  that  of  a  young  navy 
lieutenant  who  likewise  stabbed  to  death  with 
his  sword  a  former  schoolfellow  and  townsman 
who  had  not  saluted  him  on  the  street  with 
sufficient  ceremoniousness.  That,  he  said,  was 
his  only  reason  for  killing  the  man,  and  he,  too, 
received  a  very  mild  sentence.  Even  worse 

XXV 


INTRODUCTION 

was  the  case  of  two  officers  quartered  in  a  small 
garrison  of  the  province  of  East  Prussia,  close 
to  the  Russian  border.  These  men,  being  some- 
what in  liquor  on  New  Year's  Eve,  mortally 
wounded  one  civilian  and  gravely  wounded  an- 
other for  no  other  reason  than  that  these  men 
had  shouted  a  song  distasteful  to  them,  the 
whole  occurrence  happening  in  the  street  after 
midnight.  The  officers  got  off  with  a  ludi- 
crously small  punishment. 

Such  facts  as  these  —  and  they  could  be  mul- 
tiplied indefinitely  —  show,  above  all,  one  thing : 
the  striking  difference  in  the  conception  of  what 
is  termed  "  honor  "  obtaining  between  the  offi- 
cers in  the  army  and  the  bulk  of  the  population, 
the  citizen  element.  The  so-called  "army  code" 
embodies  views  which  it  is  euphemism  to  call 
mediaeval  —  remnants  of  the  dark  ages.  And 
yet  these  views  are  not  excused ;  no,  they  are 
upheld  and  endorsed  by  the  Kaiser,  his  govern- 
ment, and  by  the  army  in  a  body. 

The  "  code "  also  brings  about  that  other 
absurdity,  the  army  duel,  as  a  mode  of  settling 
all  serious  "  affairs  of  honor."  About  that 
enough  has  been  written  in  Germany  itself  to 


INTRODUCTION 

fill  whole  libraries,  and  yet  the  foolish  thing 
continues.  The  Kaiser,  grown  up  in  all  the 
prejudices  of  caste  as  held  by  his  ancestors  and 
by  the  present  generation  of  the  upper  classes 
in  Germany,  has  done  nothing  to  eradicate  this 
evil.  The  provisions  made  by  him,  and  now 
carried  out,  for  regulating  the  practice  of  duel- 
ling in  his  army,  have  had  only  the  effect  of 
rendering  the  duel  as  an  institution  still  more 
respectable. 

The  main  reason  which  ^impelled  me  to  secure 
the  authority  for  presenting  his  little  work  in 
an  English  dress  was  the  fact  that  it  tells  a  truth- 
ful tale  about  an  organization  of  such  first-rate 
importance  as  the  German  army.  It  paints  that 
organization  not  only  as  he  himself  saw  it,  but 
as  in  its  essential  features  it  really  is.  In  doing 
this  Lieutenant  Bilse  has  not  only  rendered  an 
enormous  service  to  his  own  country,  —  as  in- 
deed many  thousands  of  Germans  are  recogniz- 
ing to-day,  —  but  he  has  also  enabled  the  rest  of 
the  world  to  gain  a  clear  insight  into  the  inner 
mechanism  of  the  most  powerful  fighting-ma- 
chine in  the  world,  has  shown  its  hidden  flaws, 
its  grave  organic  defects,  and  has  thus  permitted 
xxvii 


INTRODUCTION 

us  truly  to  gauge  its  inherent  power.  But  inter- 
woven with  his  criticism  there  is  the  hope,  nay 
the  conviction,  that  the  main  part  of  the  machine 
is  still  sound. 

A  book  of  this  kind,  "  written  from  the  in- 
side," has  a  strong  merit  of  its  own  not  to  be 
measured  by  its  purely  literary  qualities;  for 
these,  I  am  free  to  admit,  are  not  of  the  highest 
order.  There  is  talent  in  it,  when  considering 
that  it  is  the  first  effort  of  a  literary  tyro;  but 
its  great  value  lies  in  its  intense  realism,  inter- 
preting that  word  in  its  higher  sense. 

I  have  been  compelled  to  make  some  al- 
terations and  omissions  in  my  work  of  trans- 
lation. The  omissions  have  been  due  to  the 
conviction  both  of  myself  and  of  my  publisher, 
that  the  author  has  in  certain  instances  given 
a  mass  of  unnecessary  details  to  which  serious 
objection  might  be  urged,  in  this  country  at 
least,  on  the  score  of  clean  literary  taste.  The 
alterations  were  either  dictated  by  similar  con- 
siderations or  grew  indirectly  out  of  them. 

With  these  exceptions  mentioned,  however, 
my  translation  may  fairly  claim  to  be  true  to 
the  spirit  of  the  original.  Even  the  strictest 
xxviii 


INTRODUCTION 

moralist  will  not  cavil  at  seeing  equivocal  situ- 
ations painted  in  Bilse's  book  when  his  purpose 
in  doing  so  has  been  the  radical  exposure  of  ills 
existing  in  a  body  around  which  cluster  so  many 
traditions  of  honor  and  duty  well  done  as  is  the 
case  with  the  German  army.  And  there  is  no 
excuse  to  be  offered  by  me  for  furthering  that 
task. 

WOLF  VON   SCHIERBRAND. 

NEW  YORK,  January  i,  1904. 


XXIX 


CHAPTER  I 

AN   EVENING  PARTY  AT   CAPTAIN 
KONIG'S 

STANDING  in  the  centre  of  her  parlor,  a 
spacious  and  cosy  one,  Frau  Clara  Konig 
let  her  eyes  glide  over  the  arrangements  made 
for  the  reception  of  her  guests. 

For  this  was  her  regular  soiree  musicale,  when 
she  saw  assembled  about  her,  one  evening  each 
week,  those  of  her  more  intimate  friends  who 
dallied  habitually  with  Euterpe,  loveliest  of  the 
Muses.  To-night,  however,  her  invitations  had 
not  been  so  restricted,  for  she  had  asked  some 
other  families  to  come,  largely  for  the  laudable 
purpose  of  admiring  the  musical  achievements 
of  the  "  artists." 

Here  she  placed  a  chair  in  its  proper  place; 
there  she  smoothed  with  tapering  fingers  one 
or  the  other  of  the  tidies,  products  of  her  own 
skilful  needle,  which,  in  every  hue  and  size, 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

adorned  the  furniture.  She  tested  the  various 
lamps ;  opened  and  shut  piano  and  parlor  organ 
to  convince  herself  of  the  absence  of  dust;  and 
finally  minutely  inspected  sundry  vases,  deftly 
manipulating  their  lovely  contents,  so  that  each 
flower  and  each  enfolding  leaf  stood  out  to 
greatest  advantage.  This  was  one  of  her  spe- 
cialties. At  none  of  her  parties,  even  in  mid- 
winter, was  there  a  lack  of  tastefully  grouped 
nosegays  and  bits  of  green  on  mantel  and  corner 
brackets. 

Frau  Clara  was  a  woman  of  about  thirty,  with 
a  well-proportioned  figure  and  a  rather  pretty, 
rosy  face.  Her  lively  blue  eyes  and  a  wealth  of 
well-groomed  hair  combined  to  give  her  a  look 
of  pleasant  youthfulness. 

These  last  touches  done,  she  seated  herself 
on  a  low  stool,  for  her  thoughts  pronounced  it 
all  good. 

And  now  the  heavy  drapery  was  thrust  aside, 
and  her  husband  appeared  —  a  tall  man  with  a 
black  moustache.  He,  too,  came  to  attend  to 
his  share  of  the  preparations.  He  lit  up  the 
chandelier.  Usually  he  gauged  the  number  of 
gas  jets  lit  by  the  number  of  guests  expected, 


AN  EVENING  PARTY 

one  for  each.  But  inasmuch  as  there  were  only 
five  jets  and  about  a  dozen  guests  to  come,  he 
indulged  in  the  luxury  of  igniting  them  all.  He 
did  this  with  various  groans  at  the  latest  out- 
rageous gas  bill,  and  next  inspected  the  stoves. 
Then  he  also  sank  down  into  a  seat. 

Albrecht  Konig  was  captain  in  the  cavalry 
regiment  quartered  in  the  town.  His  squadron 
was  always  in  apple-pie  order,  for  he  devoted 
to  it  his  entire  energy  during  waking  hours. 
Brief  intervals  of  leisure  he  filled  by  glancing 
at  the  Deutsche  Zeitung,  studying  the  money- 
market  reports,  toiling  in  the  large  garden  be- 
hind the  house,  which  he  always  kept  in  almost 
as  good  order  as  his  squadron,  and  superintend- 
ing his  hennery,  the  useful  output  of  which  he 
sold  to  his  wife  at  more  than  current  prices.1 
And  if  there  was  nothing  else  to  do,  he  had 
scientific  skirmishes  with  his  nine-year-old, 
attended  wine-tests,2  or  practised  on  the  piano, 

1  This  has  reference  to  the  not  uncommon  habit  in  German 
households,  especially  those  of  officers  and  the  higher  classes, 
of  keeping  husband's  and  wife's   exchequer  strictly  separate. 
—  TR. 

2  "  Wine  tests."    In  the  wine-growing  districts  of  Germany 
men  possessed  of  a  delicate  "  wine  tongue  "  delight  in  attending 

3 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

an  instrument  which  he  played  almost  as  well 
as  might  have  been  wished  by  his  friends. 

A  noise  in  the  hall  told  of  the  arrival  of  the 
first  guest  A  heavy,  dragging  step  and  a  snort- 
ing breath  told  them  who  it  was.  The  door 
opened,  and  Agricultural  Counsellor  von  Kon- 
radi  made  his  appearance.  A  rather  fleshy  sort 
of  man,  with  glasses  on  his  aristocratic  nose, 
over  the  tops  of  which  his  eyes  sought  the  lady 
of  the  house.  His  hair  was  dyed  a  fine  dark 
shade,  and  envy  proclaimed  that  this  was  done 
on  account  of  the  fair  sex;  for  he  was  un- 
married. His  two  ideals  in  life,  however,  were 
a  good  dinner  and  several  bottles  of  even  a 
better  wine  to  go  with  it.  Since  he  realized  both 
of  these  ideals  in  the  captain's  house,  he  was 
fond  of  going  there.  As  to  the  rest,  he  was  held 
to  be  a  gentleman. 

While  he  was  at  the  critical  point  in  a  story 
embodying  his  profound  grief  at  the  arrival 
from  his  estate  of  a  pheasant  in  a  scandalously 
unripe  condition,  the  door  opened  again  and 
admitted  the  spouse  of  Captain  Kahle. 

public  or  private  meetings  where  new  vintages  are  sampled  and 
their  prices  and  marketable  qualities  determined.  —  TR. 

4 


AN  EVENING  PARTY 

Of  a  dainty,  petite  figure,  and  with  a  face  that 
seemed  to  belong  to  a  gamin,  she  presented  on 
the  whole  a  graceful  enough  ensemble.  But 
there  were  two  drawbacks  —  her  rather  large 
mouth  was  wreathed  in  a  stereotyped  smile,  and 
when  she  opened  it  it  gave  utterance  to  a  voice 
of  somewhat  unpleasant,  strident  timbre. 

Three  youngish  men  followed  on  her  heels. 
The  first  of  them  was  Lieutenant  Pommer,  who 
was  somewhat  of  a  general  favorite  because  of 
his  unaffected,  frank  demeanor.  Occasionally 
it  became  a  trifle  rough  or  rude ;  but  you  always 
knew  where  you  had  him.  With  special  ardor 
he  saluted  Frau  Kahle,  and  it  looked  almost 
droll  to  watch  the  contrast  between  him,  a  burly, 
corpulent  fellow,  and  this  tiny,  fragile  figure 
that  resembled  a  Dresden  china  shepherdess. 

The  second  one  was  Lieutenant  Miiller. 
Those  who  did  not  know  him  could  have 
guessed  from  his  stiff,  self-contained  mien  that 
he  must  be  the  regimental  adjutant.  House- 
wives dreaded  him,  for  his  appetite  was  Gar- 
gantuan. With  stoic  defiance  of  all  warning 
glances  he  was  in  the  habit  of  demolishing  thrice 
the  quantity  of  the  daintiest  eatables  apportioned 

5 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

to  each  guest.  After  everybody  else  had  put 
down  his  fork,  his  invariable  way  was  to  help 
himself  once  more  liberally,  saying  it  was  his 
favorite  dish. 

The  last  of  the  trio  was  Lieutenant  Kolberg, 
an  amazingly  pale  young  man  with  moustaches 
a  la  Kaiser.  He  led  a  life  against  which  mor- 
alists might  have  urged  arguments,  and  there 
had  been  various  scandals  connected  with  his 
past. 

While  the  other  guests  were  waited  for,  a  few 
groups  were  being  formed.  Lieutenant  Kolberg 
approached  Frau  Kahle  and  measured  her  from 
top  to  toe  with  approval.  The  adjutant  made 
a  clever  attempt  to  find  out  from  the  hostess 
what  particular  dishes  were  in  store  for  him. 
Having  ascertained  this,  he  at  once  swore  they 
were  his  special  delectation.  Herr  von  Konradi 
was  chatting  with  Captain  Konig  about  a  wine- 
testing  trip  into  the  Moselle  district  which  they 
were  jointly  planning  in  order  to  replenish  their 
respective  cellars. 

Another  lady  entered,  one  whose  corpulency 
and  unskilfully  powdered  face  and  arms  made 
an  unpleasing  contrast  with  a  badly  fitting  robe 

6 


AN  EVENING  PARTY 

of  black  and  yellow.  She  ran  up  to  Frau  Clara 
and  squeezed  her  hand  in  her  wobbly  fingers, 
expressing  joy  at  the  invitation.  To  the  gentle- 
men who  sidled  up  to  her  one  after  the  other 
she  extended  that  same  chubby  hand  with  a 
fatuous  smile,  but  holding  it  so  high  that  they 
could  not  do  otherwise  than  touch  it  with  their 
lips. 

This  was  Frau  Captain  Stark,  the  latest 
spouse  in  the  regiment,  though  probably  past 
the  demi-century  line. 

Her  lord,  likewise  of  rotund  shape,  came  after 
her.  He  wore  a  black  Vandyke  beard,  and  his 
special  forte  was  a  carefully  trained  and  ex- 
tremely long  nail  on  the  little  finger.  It  was 
said  that  this  nail  demanded  a  goodly  portion  of 
his  leisure  hours.  His  voice  told  its  own  story 
of  bonhommie  and  unctuous  Rhine  wine. 

Behind  this  couple  hove  in  sight  the  figure  of 
the  commander.  Everybody  stepped  aside  with 
a  show  of  deference,  and  all  around  he  was  sa- 
luted with  deep  bows,  while  he  slowly  stepped 
up  to  Captain  Konig  and  his  lady.  The  bow-- 
legs and  the  robust  body  were  not  relieved  by  a 
face  of  finer  mould,  and  thus  it  was  that  Colonel 
7 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

von  Kronau  scarcely  corresponded  with  the 
popular  conception  of  a  dashing  cavalry  officer. 
Most  striking  about  him  was  a  tear  that  perma- 
nently glistened  in  the  corner  of  his  eye.  This 
tear  he  always  allowed  to  grow  to  a  certain  size, 
when  he  would,  by  a  dexterous  motion  born  of 
long  practice,  propel  it  from  its  resting-place 
over  at  his  vis-a-vis,  either  at  the  latter' s  feet 
or  in  his  face,  as  the  case  might  be.  It  largely 
depended  on  the  size  of  the  tear  and  the  rank 
of  his  vis-a-vis. 

The  lady  who  accompanied  him  and  who  had 
the  face  and  manners  of  a  governess  was  his 
better  half.  She  had  squeezed  herself  on  this 
occasion  into  a  dowdy  dress  of  pearl-gray  silk, 
with  a  purple  collar  of  velvet. 

Almost  simultaneously  the  remainder  of  the 
invited  personages  filed  in.  There  was  First 
Lieutenant  Borgert.  His  shifting  eyes  seldom 
looked  squarely  at  any  one  whom  he  deigned 
to  address.  He  was  fleshy,  but  his  movements 
were  nevertheless  elastic  and  suave.  Behind 
him  stood  First  Lieutenant  Leimann,  under- 
sized and  prematurely  bent,  with  a  neck  several 
sizes  too  short  for  him  and  a  suspicion  of  de- 

8 


AN  EVENING  PARTY 

formity  between  the  shoulders.  A  pear-shaped 
head  protruded  from  between  them,  fitfully  lit 
up  by  a  pair  of  pig's  eyes,  which  either  restlessly 
shot  glances  or  else  were  so  completely  buried 
under  their  lids  as  to  become  invisible.  A 
monocle  hung  down  his  bosom  from  a  broad 
ribbon,  but  he  never  used  it,  for  fear  of  becom- 
ing ridiculous. 

These  two  gentlemen  dwelt  together  in  the 
same  house,  each  occupying  a  floor,  and  were 
inseparables.  Though  perennially  short  of  cash, 
they  saw  no  reason  to  deny  themselves  the  lux- 
uries of  this  mundane  sphere.  On  the  contrary, 
they  lived  like  heirs  to  great  fortunes. 

"  Pardon  me,  my  gracious  lady,"  *  remarked 
Leimann  to  the  hostess,  "  but  my  wife  could  not 
come  immediately,  having  her  old  complaint  — 
nervous  headache,  you  know !  "  In  saying  this 
he  made  a  face  as  though  he  did  n't  himself 
believe  what  he  was  saying.  "  But  she  will 
doubtless  come  a  bit  later." 

"  Sorry  to  hear  it,"  Frau  Clara  sweetly  an- 

1  "  My  gracious  lady  "  —  "  Gnadige  Frau"  —  a  term  of  polite- 
ness used  to-day  indiscriminately  in  Germany  toward  married 
women.  —  TR. 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

swered,  "but  I  hope  she  will  soon  feel  well 
enough  to  appear." 

After  little  Lieutenant  Bleibtreu,  a  special 
friend  of  the  house  and  the  only  subaltern  in 
Captain  Konig's  squadron,  had  in  his  turn  sa- 
luted everybody,  the  servant  announced  that 
the  meal  was  served.  The  diners,  in  couples, 
ranged  strictly  according  to  rank,  passed  in. 
The  dining-room  looked  cheerful,  and  the  table 
had  been  arranged  with  Frau  Clara's  customary 
taste. 

Everybody  having  been  served,  conversation 
started  slowly.  "  The  weather  has  turned  so 
fine  of  late  that  we  can  commence  playing 
tennis,"  remarked  Frau  Colonel  von  Kronau. 

"  Certainly,"  chimed  in  her  husband,  masti- 
cating vigorously.  "  I  shall  call  a  meeting  of 
the  club  next  week,  and  then  nothing  will  stand 
in  the  way." 

"Charming!"  enthusiastically  fluted  Frau 
Stark.  "  I  love  it  passionately,  and  you,  of 
course,  will  all  join  in?  You,  my  dear  Frau 
Kahle,  were  one  of  the  most  zealous  members 
last  season.  And  how  is  it  with  you,  Frau 
Konig?" 

10 


AN   EVENING   PARTY 

"  I  '11  have  to  forego  the  pleasure,"  she  re- 
plied, "  for  it  does  not  agree  with  me." 

"  And  your  husband?  " 

"  I  don't  know  how  to  play,"  the  captain  said ; 
"  but  I  like  to  watch  graceful  ladies  at  it." 

Frau  Stark  bit  her  lips  and  shot  an  angry 
glance  at  the  captain.  "  What  did  he  mean  by 
'  graceful  ladies/  anyway?  "  she  thought.  That 
was  meant  for  her,  no  doubt.  And  she  remem- 
bered unpleasant  comment  made  because  she 
with  her  fifty  years  had  started  riding  a  patient 
old  mare  belonging  to  her  husband's  squadron. 
One  of  the  sergeants  was  giving  her  lessons. 

"  Some  civilians,  I  believe,  will  join,"  broke 
in  the  colonel.  "  I  will  have  a  list  circulating." 

Everybody  knew  this  was  buncombe,  the 
colonel  being  extremely  unpopular  in  civilian 
circles,  and  they  smiled  incredulously. 

"  I  will  join  you,"  said  Herr  von  Konradi, 
"  provided  the  heat  is  not  excessive.  Next 
week,  however,  I  have  no  leisure.  I  must  sow 
my  peas,  or  it  will  be  too  late." 

"  Yes,"  put  in  Konig,  "  or  they  will  not 
thrive." 

"  What  ?  Not  thrive  ?  Peas  will  always  turn 
ii 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

out  well  if  properly  attended  to,"  said  the 
colonel's  wife,  with  a  touch  of  asperity. 

"  I  fear  I  must  contradict  you,  my  gracious 
lady,"  retorted  the  captain.  "  Last  year's  did 
not  turn  out  well  anywhere." 

"  They  must  be  sowed  at  moonlight,  and  not 
a  word  be  spoken,  then  they  will  do  finely,  every 
time,"  said  the  Frau  Colonel,  eagerly.  "  But 
don't  imagine  that  I  am  superstitious.  I  am 
simply  stating  a  fact." 

It  was  a  bold  thing  to  do,  for  whatever  the 
colonel's  wife  said  must  not  be  gainsaid,  yet 
Lieutenant  Bleibtreu  could  not  help  it.  He 
laughingly  said :  "  Sowing,  therefore,  bacon  in 
between  while  the  sun  is  shining,  we  '11  have  one 
of  my  favorite  dishes  ready  made." 

The  colonel's  lady  merely  transfixed  him  with 
an  envenomed  stare.  After  a  dramatic  interval 
she  resumed :  "  But,  come  to  think  of  it,  I  my- 
self won't  have  leisure  next  week.  My  goose- 
liver  pates  are  not  yet  finished." 

"You  prepare  them  yourself?"  asked  the 
agricultural  counsellor  with  deep  interest. 

"Of  course.  I  do  up  six  potfuls  every  year. 
The  colonel  dotes  on  this  kind  of  stuff." 


12 


AN   EVENING   PARTY 

"And  where  do  you  procure  your  truffles, 
may  I  ask?  I  am  myself  looking  for  a  trust- 
worthy person." 

"  Truffles  ?  Nonsense,  it  tastes  every  bit  as 
good  without  them  —  that  is  all  imagination." 

"  Oh,  but  you  must  excuse  me,  my  gracious 
lady;  truffles  are  the  very  soul  of  a  goose-liver 
pate.  Without  them  it  is  insipid  —  '  Hamlet ' 
with  Hamlet  left  out." 

"  '  Hamlet '  ?  "  rejoined  the  lady  with  the 
governess  face.  "  We  were  talking  of  truffles." 

Herr  von  Konradi  shrugged  his  shoulders. 
Nobody  else  said  a  word.  Just  then  Frau  First 
Lieutenant  Leimann  entered.  She  looked  as 
fresh  and  bright  as  the  morning  star. 

"  A  thousand  pardons,  Frau  Konig,"  she 
smiled,  "  but  I  had  to  finish  some  important 
letters."  And  she  sat  down  in  the  place  reserved 
for  her. 

"  We  heard  you  were  suffering  from  head- 
ache," was  the  general  remark. 

"Headache?  Yes,  I  forgot  —  I  did  have  it. 
But  that  is  such  an  old  story  with  me  that  I 
scarcely  think  of  mentioning  it  any  more." 

She  was  a  handsome  young  woman,  and  the 

13 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

fact  was  made  more  apparent  by  the  really  taste- 
ful gown  she  wore. 

During  all  this  time  the  adjutant  had  not  said 
a  word.  He  attended  strictly  to  the  business 
that  had  brought  him  here.  His  voracity  at- 
tracted no  attention,  because  everybody  was 
used  to  it.  Off  and  on  he  merely  emitted  a 
species  of  grunt  in  token  of  approval  or  dissent 
of  what  had  been  said.  He  was  still  eating  when 
the  hostess  finally  gave  the  signal  to  rise.  Then 
everybody  wished  everybody  else  a  "  blessed 
digestion,"  1  and  made  for  the  adjoining  rooms, 
where  the  ladies  were  served  with  coffee  and  the 
men  with  cordials,  beer,  and  cigars. 

Informal  chatting  was  indulged  in.  The 
colonel,  after  briefly  despatching  a  trifling  matter 
connected  with  the  service,  for  which  purpose 
he  retained  Miiller,  who  was  fairly  oozing  with 
good  cheer,  retired  to  a  quiet  corner  with  Frau 
Stark.  Since  their  conversation  was  carried  on 
in  whispers,  First  Lieutenant  Borgert,  despite 
strenuous  efforts  to  overhear,  could  only  catch 
a  phrase  or  a  single  word  from  time  to  time. 

1  "Blessed  digestion"  —  "  Gesegnete  Mahlzeit  "  —  is  the 
universal  greeting  in  Germany  after  meals. — TR. 

14 


AN   EVENING   PARTY 

"  You  must  manage  it,"  he  heard  her  say. 

"  Let  us  hope  that  the  annual  inspection  will 
turn  out  well,"  replied  the  colonel.  "  Last  time 
our  direct  superiors  were  finding  fault  with  your 
husband.  It  began  in  the  stables,  and  I  heard 
some  talk  about  it." 

"  Never  mind  all  that,  Colonel,  my  husband 
must  be  promoted  to  be  major.  I  tell  you 
plainly,  if  you  drop  him  I  shall  —  " 

"  Have  no  fears,  my  most  gracious  lady.  I 
have  given  him  a  very  brilliant  report,  though 
he  does  n't  deserve  it,  as  you  know.  But  I  shall- 
do  my  best." 

"  And  you  owe  me  your  best,  Colonel,  as  you 
very  well  know,  for  without  me  you  would  be 
to-day  —  " 

Captain  Konig  came  up. 

"  Will  the  Herr  Colonel  not  accompany  us 
next  week  on  a  wine-testing  trip  up  the  Moselle  ? 
Agricultural  Counsellor  von  Konradi  will  make 
one  of  the  party.  Some  exquisite  growths  are 
to  be  sold." 

"  Certainly,  my  dear  Konig.  You  know  that 
I  always  join  in  such  expeditions.  And  with 
you  in  particular  I  like  to  go,  for  your  dinner 

15 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

has  shown  me  once  more  that  you  own  a  fault- 
less '  wine  tongue.' ' 

"  Very  flattering,  Colonel.  But  I  see  you  are 
still  cigarless;  everything  is  laid  out  in  my 
room." 

The  colonel  stepped  into  the  next  room.  Frau 
Kahle  was  flirting  with  Lieutenant  Pommer  in 
one  corner,  while  several  young  men  were  doing 
that  with  the  pretty  hostess  in  the  other  corner. 
Just  then  First  Lieutenant  Leimann  entered 
from  the  dining-room,  and  behind  him  his 
spouse,  making  a  wry  face.  Her  mien  became 
sunny,  however,  when  First  Lieutenant  Borgert 
stepped  up  to  her  and  inquired  with  solicitude 
as  to  the  cause  of  grief. 

"  Oh !  The  usual  thing,"  she  snapped.  "  My 
husband  has  scolded  me.  You  know  his  un- 
gentlemanly  ways.  Always  rude  and  offensive." 

"  What  was  the  trouble  this  time?  " 

"  Merely  the  fact  that  I  had  excused  my  late- 
ness at  table  by  pleading  unfinished  letters,  while 
he  had  urged  a  headache.  I  am  tired  of  his 
eternal  fault-finding." 

"  That  is  valid  reason  for  a  divorce,  my  be- 
witching lady,"  smiled  Borgert.  "  Look  for 
16 


AN  EVENING   PARTY 

another  husband  if  you  are  tired  of  the  present 
one." 

She  peered  into  his  face  inquiringly.  "  You 
don't  imagine  how  serious  I  am." 

"  Ah,  if  that 's  the  case,  my  dear  lady,  there 
is  no  time  like  the  present  for  planning  a  change. 
How,  for  instance,  would  I  do  for  a  substitute? 
Now,  honor  bright?"  and  he  playfully  fondled 
her  plump  little  hand. 

She  took  this  just  as  smilingly.  "  Before  I 
answer,"  she  said,  coquettishly  lowering  her 
eyelids,  "  I  must  know  what  you  have  to  offer 
me." 

"  Let  us  sit  down  then  and  discuss  this  most 
alluring  topic  in  its  various  bearings,"  laugh- 
ingly remarked  he;  and  he  led  her  to  a  divan, 
where  they  sat  down  side  by  side. 

"  Now,  then,  pay  close  attention,  please,"  con- 
tinued he.  "I  offer  you  an  elegant  home,  a  neat 
turnout,  a  tolerably  groomed  nag,  a  villa  on 
Lake  Zurich,  and  a  host  of  serving  genii." 

"  And  who  is  to  pay  for  it  all  ?  " 

"Pay?"  His  wonderment  was  great.  "Pay 
for  it  ?  Why,  what  is  the  use  of  doing  that  ?  It 
has  become  unfashionable,  and  besides,  so  much 
17 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

good  money  is  frittered  away  by  paying.  / 
never  pay,  and  yet  I  manage  to  live  pretty 
comfortably." 

"  All  very  well,  but  there  is  my  husband  to 
think  of  besides,"  joked  the  pretty  woman. 

"  Of  course  you  still  have  him ;  but  mean- 
while you  might  try  and  accustom  yourself  to 
me  —  as  his  successor,  you  know." 

Frau  Leimann  nodded  cheerfully  and  then 
buried  her  empty  little  head  in  her  hand,  dream- 
ily scanning  the  carpet.  The  others  had  left 
the  two  in  sole  possession  of  the  room.  The 
eyes  of  the  officer  sought  hers,  and  there 
was  a  peculiar  expression  in  them  when  they 
met. 

"  Why  do  you  look  at  me  that  way  ?  "  said 
she.  "  You  make  me  almost  fear  you." 

"Afraid  of  your  most  dutiful  slave?"  whis- 
pered he,  and  his  breath  fanned  her  cheek. 
"  Ah,  no.  But  do  not  forget  our  conversation, 
loveliest  of  women.  Things  spoken  in  jest  often 
come  true  in  the  end."  She  looked  up  and 
smiled  as  if  enchanted  at  the  idea.  Then  she 
rose,  and  when  he  grasped  one  of  her  hands  she 
made  no  effort  to  wrest  it  away.  He  imprinted 
18 


AN  EVENING   PARTY 

a  long-drawn  kiss  on  it.  She  shivered  and  then 
rapidly  glided  into  the  adjoining  room,  where 
the  jumble  of  sounds  produced  by  tuning  a 
variety  of  musical  instruments  was  now  heard. 
The  strident  notes  of  violins,  the  rumbling  boom 
of  a  cello,  and  the  broken  chords  of  a  piano  were 
confusedly  mingling,  and  the  male  guests  were 
slowly  dropping  in  or  taking  up  a  position,  a 
half-smoked  Havana  or  cigarette  between  the 
lips,  just  outside  the  door,  so  as  to  combine  two 
sources  of  enjoyment.  Borgert  had  remained 
behind  in  the  next  room,  and  was  now  studying 
intently  a  letter  the  contents  of  which  plunged 
him  in  a  painful  reverie.  At  last  he  put  back 
the  letter  in  his  breast  pocket,  audibly  cursing 
its  sender,  and  then  joined  the  group  nearest 
him. 

At  the  parlor  organ  Captain  Konig  was 
seated,  while  his  wife  had  taken  charge  of  the 
piano  accompaniment.  Herr  von  Konradi  and 
First  Lieutenant  Leimann  stood  ready  with 
their  violins,  while  Lieutenant  Bleibtreu,  the 
violoncello  pressed  between  the  knees,  occupied 
the  rear.  The  auditors,  at  least  the  majority  of 
them,  were  comfortably  ensconced  in  chairs  or 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

sofas,  near  the  mantelpiece,  and  around  a  table 
on  which  a  small  battery  of  beer  mugs,  steins, 
and  tankards  was  solidly  planted. 

They  began  to  play :  a  trio  by  Reinhardt.  It 
sounded  well,  for  the  performers  had  practised 
their  respective  parts  thoroughly.  But  there 
were  some  disturbing  factors,  as  is  always  the 
case  with  amateurs.  The  unwieldy  agricultural 
counsellor  rose  on  his  creaking  boots  with  every 
note  he  drew,  and  frequently  snorted  in  his  zeal. 
Leimann,  too,  was  one  of  those  one  must  not 
look  at  while  performing,  for  his  queer-shaped 
head  had  sunk  between  his  shoulders  and  his 
bowed  back  presented  a  rather  unaesthetic  pic- 
ture. The  cellist,  whose  ringers  were  rather 
thick,  occasionally  grasped  the  wrong  string, 
but  tried  to  make  up  for  this  by  bringing  out  the 
next  tones  with  doubled  vigor.  The  trio  was 
followed  by  violin  solos,  and  lastly  by  a  Liszt 
rhapsody,  played  by  the  Konigs  with  warm  feel- 
ing and  sufficient  technique. 

For  finale  the  small  audience  overwhelmed 
the  players  with  praise,  and  some  more  or  less 
correct  remarks  were  made  about  the  different 
compositions. 

20 


AN   EVENING   PARTY 

"  Oh,  my  dear  Lieutenant  Bleibtreu,"  cried 
Frau  Stark,  "  I  must  resume  my  cello  practice 
with  you.  It  is  such  a  soulful  instrument,  and 
I  used  to  play  it  with  tolerable  proficiency  in  my 
younger  days." 

Bleibtreu  made  a  grimace,  and  Captain  Konig 
whispered  to  him  that  the  elderly  lady  was 
unable  to  distinguish  one  note  from  another. 

Borgert  had  looked  on  nonchalantly  from  the 
door  during  the  concert.  Once  in  a  while  he 
glanced  sharply  at  Frau  Leimann,  who  was 
cosily  reclining  in  an  arm-chair,  her  eyes  half 
closed,  a  prey  to  thoughts. 

The  players  had  now  taken  seats  at  the  large 
table,  and  the  conversation  turned  to  trivial 
affairs  of  the  day,  the  Frau  Colonel  assuming 
the  lion's  share  of  it,  for  she  was  decidedly  talk- 
ative. Thus  another  hour  passed;  and  when 
the  clock  on  the  mantel  marked  half-past  ten, 
Colonel  von  Kronau  gave  his  better  half  a  look 
of  understanding,  and  the  latter  slightly  nodded 
in  reply,  and  rose,  saying  to  the  lady  of  the 
house,  with  a  smile: 

"  Dear  Frau  Konig,  it  was  charming  of  you 
to  prepare  such  an  enchanting  evening  for  us. 
21 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

But  it  is  time  for  us  to  be  going.  Many 
thanks!" 

The  hostess  made  some  polite  objections;  but 
when  she  saw  that  the  Starks  too,  and  the  agri- 
cultural counsellor  began  to  take  formal  leave, 
she  desisted  from  any  further  attempts  to  retain 
her  guests,  not  dissatisfied,  on  the  whole,  that 
but  a  small  circle  remained.  For  with  them  it 
was  not  necessary  to  weigh  words  as  carefully 
as  in  the  presence  of  the  colonel.  It  frequently 
happened  that  he,  the  day  after  a  social  gather- 
ing, took  occasion  to  reprove  his  captains  and 
lieutenants  for  a  careless  turn  of  phrase  or  for 
something  which  he  construed  as  a  lack  of 
respect  shown  to  him  or  his  wife. 

Those  five  gone,  the  others  moved  their  chairs 
closer  together  around  the  table,  and  some  fresh, 
foaming  nectar  was  served.  Borgert  started  the 
talk. 

"  Did  you  notice  how  this  Stark  woman  again 
had  a  whispered  confab  with  the  colonel  ?  "  he 
said.  "  Such  manners  I  think  they  ought  to 
leave  at  home,  for  there  they  are  not  very  par- 
ticular. Just  fancy,  the  other  day  I  was  witness 
when  Stark  threw  a  slipper  at  his  wife,  and  she 

22 


AN   EVENING   PARTY 

on  her  part  had  received  me  in  a  horribly  soiled 
and  frowzy  morning  gown." 

"  I  saw  worse  than  that,"  interrupted  Lei- 
mann.  "  Last  week  they  had  in  my  presence 
one  of  their  frequent  matrimonial  disagree- 
ments, and  the  fat  one,  her  husband,  clinched 
the  matter  by  shouting  at  her :  '  Hold  your 
tongue,  woman ! '  A  nice,  lovable  couple,  those 
two!" 

"  Anyway,  it  seems  as  if  she  lorded  it  over 
him  pretty  effectually,"  broke  in  the  adjutant. 
"  Day  before  yesterday  Stark  had  had  his  fill  at 
the  White  Swan,  and  when  he  became  a  trifle 
noisy  and  quarrelsome  his  wife  arrived  on  the 
scene  and  behaved  simply  disgracefully.  Fi- 
nally she  tucked  him  under  her  arm  and  took 
him  home  amidst  the  shouts  and  laughter  of  the 
other  guests.  I  don't  think  their  meeting  at 
home  can  have  been  an  angelic  one." 

"  That  sort  of  thing  happens  every  little 
while,"  remarked  Pommer;  "at  least  at  the 
Casino1  she  appears  whenever  he  does  not  de- 
part punctually  at  mealtime,  and  calls  him  hard 
names  before  the  very  orderlies." 

1  "  Casino  " ;  the  military  club  houses  are  so  called.  —  ED. 
23 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

"  Well,  she  is  keeping  a  sharp  eye  on  him  just 
now,"  said  Captain  Konig,  good-humoredly, 
"  for  he  wants  to  get  his  promotion  as  major, 
or,  rather,  it  is  her  ambition  to  become  Frau 
Major." 

"  Why,  there  can  be  no  idea  of  that,"  inter- 
jected Borgert,  with  a  great  show  of  righteous 
indignation.  "  If  this  totally  incapable  idiot 
becomes  major  I  ought  to  be  made  at  least  a 
general.  Though  it  is  queer  that  the  colonel 
is  evidently  moving  heaven  and  earth  in  his 
behalf." 

"  Good  reason  why,"  retorted  Leimann, 
calmly. 

"How  so?" 

"  Don't  you  know  the  story?  And  yet  it  is 
in  everybody's  mouth." 

'  Then  tell  us,  please,  because  we  know  not 
a  word  of  it,  and  I  scent  something  fiendishly 
interesting!"  And  Borgert  rubbed  his  hands 
in  anticipation. 

"  Why,  last  year  the  colonel  had,  with  his 
usual  want  of  tact,  insulted  a  civilian  —  a  gentle- 
man, you  know.  The  latter  sent  him  a  chal- 
lenge. Our  good  colonel  began  to  feel  queer, 
24 


AN   EVENING   PARTY 

for  while  he  is  constantly  doing  heroic  things 
with  his  mouth,  he  is  by  no  means  fond  of 
risking  his  skin.  So  after  some  talk  with  her, 
this  Stark  woman  went  to  see  the  gentleman 
in  question  as  peacemaker.  She  told  him  that 
the  colonel  was  really  innocent  in  the  whole 
matter,  and  that  she  herself  had  been  the  cause 
of  the  trouble,  having  spread  a  false  report 
under  an  erroneous  impression.  She  managed 
to  tell  her  yarn  with  so  much  plausibility  as 
entirely  to  deceive  and  bamboozle  the  other 
party,  who  thereupon  withdrew  his  challenge 
with  expressions  of  his  profound  regret.  So, 
you  see,  she  saved  the  colonel's  life,  for  the 
civilian  is  known  as  a  dead  shot.  Since  then 
she  has  the  colonel  completely  in  her  power,  and 
no  matter  what  she  tells  him  to  do,  he  executes 
her  orders  like  a  docile  poodle  dog,  —  a  fact 
which  we  all  see  illustrated  every  day." 

"  Well,  that  explains  the  whole  mystery,  of 
course,"  delightedly  shouted  Borgert  "  Don't 
you  know  any  more  such  stories?  For  it  is 
really  high  time  to  call  a  halt.  He  has  manners 
like  a  ploughboy's,  and  she  like  a  washerwo- 
man's. I  '11  collect  a  few  more  tales  of  the  sort. 

25 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

It  is  simply  shameful  that  one  must  submit  to 
the  dictation  of  this  woman." 

"  There  are  rumors  that  she  had  peculiar 
relations  with  a  well-known  nobleman  in  her 
younger  days;  but  I  know  nothing  positive, 
mind  you." 

"  Where  in  the  world  did  you  hear  that 
now  ?  " 

"  My  military  servant  told  me.  He  happens 
to  hail  from  the  neighborhood  she  comes  from." 

During  this  delectable  interchange  of  gossip 
the  wife  of  First  Lieutenant  Leimann  had  lis- 
tened with  gleaming  eyes  and  heightened  color ; 
it  seemed  wonderfully  interesting  to  her.  Cap- 
tain Konig,  on  the  other  hand,  sucked  his  cigar 
thoughtfully,  and  his  wife  toyed  with  the 
embroidered  border  of  the  table-cover. 

"  Why  so  lost  in  thought,  my  gracious  lady?  " 
Borgert  said. 

"  I  was  merely  wondering  what  stories  you 
gentlemen  might  hatch  against  us"  she  said 
with  some  dignity. 

He  was  about  pathetically  to  disclaim  any 
such  fell  designs,  when  it  was  noticed  that  Frau 
26 


AN   EVENING    PARTY 

Kahle  had  risen  to  bid  farewell,  and  with  her 
Lieutenant  Pommer,  whose  escort  home  she  had 
accepted,  her  husband  being  off  on  a  short 
official  trip. 

They  were  barely  gone,  when  Borgert  re- 
marked : 

"  I  think  we  ought  to  subscribe  for  this  poor 
Kahle  woman,  just  enough  to  enable  her  to  buy 
a  new  dress.  I  don't  think  she  has  anything  to 
wear  besides  this  faded,  worn-out  rag  of  hers. 
I  am  sick  of  seeing  it." 

"  But  you  ought  to  see  her  at  home,"  in- 
terjected Miiller,  in  a  minor  key  of  disdain. 
"  There  she  looks  worse  than  a  slovenly  servant 
girl.  And  she  does  n't  seem  to  find  time  to  patch 
up  her  dirty  gown,  while  her  boy,  the  only  child 
she  has,  runs  about  the  streets  like  a  cobbler's 
apprentice  from  the  lower  town.  One  thing, 
though,  that  urchin  does  know  —  he  can  lie  like 
Satan." 

"  Inherited  from  his  mother,  of  course,"  re- 
marked Borgert,  when  a  cold  and  reproachful 
look  out  of  Frau  Clara's  eyes  made  him  stop  in 
the  middle  of  his  sentence.  There  was  an  em- 
barrassed silence  for  a  minute,  and  when  the 
27 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

talk  was  resumed  it  no  longer  furnished  such 
"  interesting  "  material.  Captain  Konig's  yawn- 
ing became  more  pronounced,  and  Leimann  was 
leaning  back  in  his  chair,  dozing,  with  mouth 
half  open.  His  wife,  too,  showed  unmistakable 
signs  of  ennui,  now  that  the  scandal  she  loved 
no  longer  poured  forth.  Her  features,  a  mo- 
ment ago  smooth  and  animated,  now  looked 
worn  and  aged,  losing  all  their  charm.  Miiller 
was  still  digesting  audibly,  and  hence  it  seemed 
the  proper  moment  for  adjourning. 

Amid  unanimous  assurances  that  "  this  has 
been  the  most  enjoyable  evening  this  season," 
the  leave-taking  was  finally  effected,  and  the 
captain  accompanied  his  last  guests  down  the 
stairs,  and  returned  after  shooting  the  strong 
bolt  at  the  house  door. 

As  he  turned  off  the  gas  in  the  drawing-room, 
he  said  to  Frau  Clara :  "  Quite  interesting,  this 
evening!  These  are  two  gentlemen  we  shall 
have  to  be  on  our  guard  against." 


28 


CHAPTER  II 

WHAT   HAPPENED   AT   THE  CASINO 
DANCE 

CORPORAL  MEYER!  Have  all  this 
cleared  out  of  the  stable!  Instantly! 
What  beastly  filth  is  this?  What?  The  stable 
guard  is  not  present?  Then  do  it  yourself;  it 
won't  hurt  you.  Forward,  march!  And  then 
bring  me  the  parole  book !  " 

"  At  your  orders,  gracious  lady !  " 
Frau  Captain  Stark  strode  with  rattling  steps 
up  and  down  in  the  stable,  followed  by  two 
ragged-looking  dogs.  She  wore  a  badly  fitting 
riding  habit  of  slate-colored  cloth,  with  a  black 
derby  that  had  seen  better  days.  In  her  right 
hand  she  carried  a  whip  with  which  now  and 
then  she  cut  the  rank  atmosphere  in  a  reckless 
manner,  so  that  the  dogs  slunk  aside  in  affright. 
Her  keen  eye  pierced  everywhere.  She  scanned 
the  black  register  boards  nailed  above  the  differ- 
ent partitions,  and  studied  attentively  the  tablet 
29 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

on  which  was  marked  in  chalk  the  ordre  du  jour. 
She  came  to  a  full  stop  behind  two  horses,  the 
only  ones  left  behind  by  the  squadron  which  had 
gone  off  for  drill  to  the  parade  grounds.  Wrath- 
fully  she  glanced  at  the  poor  old  beasts,  the 
bones  sticking  out  of  their  wrinkled,  badly 
groomed  skin  like  those  of  a  skeleton.  Then 
she  lifted  the  hind  feet  of  the  brown  gelding 
and  examined  the  hoofs.  She  drew  a  small  note- 
book from  her  habit,  and  entered  on  the  dated 
page :  "  Remus  No.  37.  Left  hind  iron."  Next 
she  climbed  the  steep  wooden  stairs  leading  up 
to  the  hayloft.  There  they  were,  the  culprits, 
two  men  of  the  stable  guard,  slumbering 
peacefully,  and  not  even  awakened  by  the  en- 
trance of  the  "  squadron's  mother."  Quick  as 
a  flash  her  whip  rained  a  shower  of  blows,  while 
she  cried : 

"  Down  with  you ;  attend  to  your  work,  you 
lazy  scum!  I  shall  have  you  reported  to  the 
colonel !  " 

And  they  flew  down  the  stairs,  and  were  at 
the  feed-cutter  as  if  the  devil  himself  were  after 
them.  She  met  Corporal  Meyer  at  the  door, 
breathless  from  running,  but  handing  her  the 

3° 


THE   CASINO   DANCE 

parole  book.  He  clapped  his  heels  together  be- 
fore her  so  that  the  spurs  jingled. 

She  pushed  the  greasy  book  aside. 

"What  does  the  idiot  think?"  she  cried. 
"  Hold  it  before  my  eyes  while  I  read  it.  Here 
is  an  entry  that  the  saddles  and  bridles  are  to 
be  inspected  to-morrow.  Have  your  men  every- 
thing in  good  shape?  " 

"  I  will  go  and  inquire  of  the  sergeant-major." 

"  Away !  Bring  him  here,  but  this  very 
moment." 

The  sergeant-major  made  a  black  face  when 
Meyer  had  delivered  his  message,  for  the 
hours  when  the  squadron  was  drilling  or  prac- 
tising were  his  choicest  during  the  day.  He 
spent  them,  as  a  rule,  in  domestic  bliss,  having 
his  cup  of  coffee  before  him  and  the  wife  of  his 
bosom  in  close  proximity.  He  was  peacefully 
enjoying  his  morning  cigar  when  Meyer  re- 
ported to  him  the  desire  of  the  "  gracious  one." 

He  cursed  his  luck,  but  lost  no  time  in  girding 
his  loins  with  his  sabre;  shoved  his  cap  on  his 
bald  brow,  and  went  rattling  down  the  stairs. 

The  gracious  one  received  him  very  ungra- 
ciously. 

31 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

"  Sergeant-major,  is  everything  in  readiness 
for  to-morrow  ?  " 

"  I  think  so,  but  will  once  more  examine 
to-night." 

"  To-night  ?  You  are  crazy.  At  once.  Loaf- 
ing must  stop.  And,  mark  you,  I  demand  a 
more  respectful  tone  from  you,  or  I  shall  report 
your  case  to  the  colonel.  Now  bring  me  my 
horse!" 

"  Horse,  my  gracious  lady?  That  is  out  with 
the  rest  of  them.  All  horses  were  ordered  out, 
except  these  two  lame  ones,"  and  he  pointed  at 
the  two  sorry  steeds. 

"  What  ?  My  horse  ordered  out  ?  What  new 
insolence  is  this?  Let  it  be  brought  to  me  in- 
stantly. One  of  the  corporals  can  go  on  foot." 

But  this  moment  she  heard  steps  approaching, 
and  seeing  Borgert  she  called  out  to  him  in 
dulcet  tones: 

"  Ah,  what  a  pleasure,  my  dear  First  Lieu- 
tenant! So  early  out  on  duty?  I  was  just 
about  to  give  some  sugar  to  my  husband's 
horses,  but  find  them  already  gone.  My  dear 
husband  is  so  excessively  punctual  in  all  that 
concerns  the  service." 

32 


THE  CASINO   DANCE 

"  Your  interest  for  the  squadron  is  .most 
praiseworthy,  my  gracious  lady,"  said  Borgert 
with  a  malicious  twinkle  in  his  eye.  "  I  have 
often  remarked  you  with  secret  admiration  when 
issuing  orders  to  the  men  about  the  stable." 

"  Orders  ?  Scarcely  that,  my  dear  Borgert. 
Once  in  a  while  I  am  the  messenger  of  my  dear 
husband  when  he  has  forgotten  something.  Of 
course,  I  take  an  interest  in  all  that  concerns  him 
and  the  squadron." 

"  Frau  Captain  is  quite  right,  and  I  can  only 
congratulate  you  on  the  successful  way  in  which 
your  interest  in  the  squadron  and  in  the  whole 
regiment  takes  concrete  form." 

"  You  are  always  jesting.  But  I  suppose  I 
shall  see  you  at  the  Casino  to-night?" 

"  Assuredly,  we  are  to  meet  at  five  to  talk  over 
some  service  matters." 

"  Yes,  you  remind  me.  But  that  will  not  last 
long.  It  concerns  only  some  trifling  affairs." 

"  Much  obliged  for  the  exact  information." 

"  Oh,  of  course,  I  take  an  interest  in  every- 
thing, as  I  said.  I  called  the  colonel's  attention 
to  divers  things,  and  I  presume  he  will  talk  them 
over  with  you  gentlemen." 

3  33 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

"  I  am  curious  to  learn  what  they  can  be. 
But,  pardon  me,  I  see  Captain  Konig  coming, 
with  whom  I  have  to  transact  some  business. 
Good  morning,  my  most  gracious  lady !  " 

"  Good  morning,  mon  cher!  "  And  she  held 
her  hand  up  high  to  him,  —  a  big  hand,  which 
was  encased  in  a  soiled,  worn-out  gauntlet  of 
her  husband's. 

Then  she  turned  once  more  to  the  sergeant- 
major,  while  Borgert  hastened  to  intercept 
Konig,  who  was  on  the  point  of  turning  into 
the  big  courtyard  of  the  third  squadron. 

"  Good  morning,  Herr  Captain !  I  must  beg 
you  to  excuse  me  if  I  interfere  with  your  liberty 
for  a  moment,  but  a  very  pressing  matter  in- 
duces me  to  ask  of  you  a  great  favor." 

"You  astonish  me.  What  is  the  matter? 
Is  it  anything  of  importance?"  retorted  the 
captain. 

'  This  afternoon  the  colonel  will  doubtless 
mention  the  unpaid  Casino  bills,  and  it  would 
be  extremely  painful  to  me,  especially  in  the 
presence  of  the  junior  officers,  to  have  my  name 
spoken  of  in  that  connection." 

"  My  dear  fellow,"  said  Captain  Konig, 
34 


THE  CASINO   DANCE 

"  you  '11  have  to  go  elsewhere  for  the  money. 
It  was  difficult  enough  for  me  to  raise  that 
hundred  for  you  a  week  ago." 

"  And  if  I  repeat  my  request,  nevertheless, 
Captain,  it  is  because  I  find  myself  in  a  horribly 
embarrassing  situation.  For  if  I  don't  succeed 
in  procuring  four  hundred  marks  till  this  even- 
ing, I  shall  have  to  face  the  most  annoying, 
possibly  disastrous  consequences." 

"  All  very  well,  but  I  simply  have  n't  the 
money,"  said  the  captain,  shrugging  his 
shoulders. 

For  a  moment  or  two  there  was  silence,  and 
each  avoided  looking  at  the  other.  Then  Bor- 
gert  murmured,  hesitatingly: 

"  May  I  make  a  proposition,  Herr  Captain?  " 

"Well?" 

"  But  I  must  ask  you  not  to  misunderstand 
me.  Would  it  not  be  possible  to  borrow  so  small 
a  sum  from  the  funds  of  the  squadron,  since  it 
would  be  only  a  question  of  a  few  days  ?  " 

Captain  Konig  looked  startled. 

"  But,  my  dear  fellow,  how  can  you  suggest 
such  a  thing  to  me!  You  can't  expect  me  to 
touch  the  treasury." 

35 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

"  I  do  not  think  it  would  matter  the  least  bit, 
since  the  Herr  Captain  alone  is  responsible  for 
that  fund,  and  since  this  would  practically  mean 
nothing  but  the  transferring  of  four  hundred 
marks  from  the  public  fund  in  your  own  keep- 
ing to  private  funds  of  your  own,  to  be  made 
good  by  you,  without  anybody  being  the  wiser 
within  a  week  or  so." 

"  No,  no,  that  would  never  do,"  again  said 
the  other. 

"  But,  Captain,  you  cannot  leave  me  in  the 
lurch.  It  would  simply  place  me  in  a  beastly 
predicament,"  wailed  Borgert,  glancing  appeal- 
ingly  at  his  brother  officer. 

Konig  began  to  think,  twirling  his  moustache. 
On  the  whole,  he  reflected,  it  might  be  a  wise 
thing  to  place  under  an  obligation  this  man  with 
the  dangerously  bitter  tongue.  Borgert' s  influ- 
ence on  the  younger  officers  was  not  to  be  under- 
estimated, he  knew,  and  a  refusal  would  turn 
him  into  an  enemy.  The  money  itself  he  had, 
locked  up  in  a  drawer  of  his  desk  at  home ;  but 
if  he  made  Borgert  believe  that  he  had  to  "  bor- 
row "  it  from  the  squadron  funds,  —  whose 
custodian  he  was,  —  it  might  be  expected  that 
36 


the  lieutenant  would  not  so  soon  ask  for  another 
loan,  mindful  of  the  great  difficulties  this  present 
one  was  causing.  It  was  as  the  result  of  these 
cogitations  that  Konig  resolved  to  lend  Borgert 
the  sum  he  required,  but  to  leave  him  in  the 
belief  that  to  do  so  it  was  necessary  to  touch 
the  funds  in  his  care. 

"  All  right,  then,"  he  said ;  "  you  shall  have 
your  money.  When  will  you  pay  it  back  without 
fail?" 

"  Within  ten  days,  Captain.  I  give  you  my 
word  on  it." 

"  Very  well,  come  to  my  office  at  noon,  and 
you  shall  have  it." 

"  Accept  my  most  grateful  thanks,  Herr 
Captain ! " 

"  Don't  mention  it ;  but  I  trust  it  won't  occur 
again." 

They  shook  hands,  and  the  captain  mounted 
and  trotted  off  in  a  lively  tempo  toward  the 
parade  grounds. 

Borgert,  elated  and  free  of  care,  hastened 
home.  His  duties  to-day  did  not  begin  until 
ten.  He  really  felt  kindly  towards  Konig  for 
the  moment.  It  was  not  the  first  time  the  cap- 

37 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

tain  had  helped  him  out  of  a  dilemma.  Ten 
days!  Well,  within  ten  days  all  sorts  of  things 
could  happen.  Why  not  his  ability  to  repay  the 
loan?  And  if  not,  bah!  What  is  the  use  of 
speculating  about  the  future?  For  the  moment 
he  was  safe;  that  was  the  main  thing. 

Leimann  meanwhile  was  awaiting  the  coming 
of  his  friend  in  the  latter's  study,  and  when 
Borgert  entered,  serene  of  brow  and  humming 
an  operatic  tune,  his  face  too  brightened. 

"  Has  he  done  it?"  he  shouted. 

"  Of  course.  Go  to  him  at  eleven,  and  he  will 
do  the  same  in  your  case,  all  the  more  as  you 
need  it  less." 

And  at  noon,  when  the  two  friends  met  at  the 
Casino  over  a  bottle  of  fragrant  Moselle,  you 
could  tell  from  Leimann' s  exuberant  gayety  that 
his  own  request  had  not  been  refused. 

Punctually  at  five  all  the  officers  of  the  regi- 
ment were  assembled,  with  caps  and  sabres,  in 
the  reading-room  of  the  Casino.  And  when  the 
different  squadron  commanders  had  stepped  up 
and  reported  "  Everybody  present,"  the  colonel 
at  once  let  them  know  his  mind. 
38 


THE   CASINO   DANCE 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  in  his  most  pompous 
manner,  "  I  have  commanded  your  presence  in 
order  to  talk  over  a  few  matters.  First :  I  must 
request  that  for  the  future,  at  balls  and  similar 
affairs,  dancing  spurs  be  worn,  so  as  to  avoid 
such  unpleasant  accidents  as  we  had  night  before 
last.  One  gentleman,  who  shall  be  nameless," 
—  and  as  he  said  it  he  fixed  a  basilisk  eye  on 
Lieutenant  von  Meckelburg  —  "  tore  off  with 
his  spurs  the  whole  edge  on  the  robe  of  Frau 
Captain  Stark.  This  must  not  occur  again, 
gentlemen,  and  from  now  on  I  shall  officially 
punish  similar  behavior.  Furthermore,  it  is 
customary  among  persons  of  education  not  to 
be  first  in  stretching  out  a  hand  to  shake  that  of 
a  lady.  And  if  the  lady  herself  offers  her  hand, 
good  manners  in  our  circles  requires  that  the 
gentleman  salute  it  with  his  lips.  It  was  made 
evident  to  me  by  the  complaints  of  one  of  the 
ladies  of  this  regiment  that  some  of  you  gentle- 
men stand  greatly  in  need  of  further  education 
on  such  points  of  etiquette."  This  particular 
passage  referred  to  the  fact  that  Lieutenant 
Bleibtreu  had  omitted  the  customary  hand-kiss 
the  other  day,  when  Frau  Captain  Stark  had 

39 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

thrust  her  hand  under  his  nose,  his  reason  being 
that  she  had  worn  an  old  pair  of  dogskin  gloves, 
soiled  and  wet  by  the  rain. 

Casting  a  big  tear,  which  had  meanwhile 
gathered  in  his  left  eye,  several  yards  away, 
where  it  glittered  in  the  sunshine,  the  com- 
mander continued: 

"  Next,  gentlemen,  I  formally  forbid  you  to 
visit  another  town  without  first  obtaining  leave 
of  absence.  Whoever  will  visit  the  neighboring 
town  must  ask  my  formal  permission  first,  no 
matter  if  the  distance  is  inconsiderable.  You 
all  remember  that  two  of  the  gentlemen  of  this 
regiment  were  forced  to  retire  under  peculiarly 
distressing  circumstances,  because  of  large  debts 
contracted  in  the  adjoining  town." 

"  Will  the  Herr  Colonel  permit  me  a  ques- 
tion ?  "  interrupted  Captain  Konig. 

"If  you  please,  Herr  Captain !  " 

"  Is  this  order  intended  to  apply  to  married 
officers  as  far  as  invitations  to  social  entertain- 
ments, the  theatre,  concerts,  et  cetera,  are 
concerned  ?  " 

"  Most  assuredly;  I  must  retain  exact  control 
of  the  movements  of  every  one  of  you  gentle- 
40 


THE   CASINO   DANCE 

men  as  often  as  he  leaves  the  garrison.  In- 
fringements I  shall  punish  severely,  in  exact 
accordance  with  the  military  penal  code.  Such 
infringements  I  shall  regard  not  as  mere 
breaches  of  discipline,  but  as  direct  disobedi- 
ence to  my  explicit  orders." 

There  was  a  pause,  the  colonel  whisking  his 
big  bandanna  out  of  the  breast  pocket  of  his 
uniform  coat,  and  carefully  wiping  his  left  eye. 
This  done,  he  looked  about  and  saw  disgust 
plainly  printed  on  every  face  around  him. 

Indeed  there  was  disgust.  Because  two  of- 
fenders in  the  past  had  got  themselves  into 
trouble,  the  whole  corps  of  officers  in  town  was 
to  suffer  vicariously,  forced  to  remain  shut  up, 
even  during  their  leisure  hours,  in  a  place  offer- 
ing absolutely  no  intellectual  and  worthy  relax- 
ation. The  elder  officers  more  especially  felt  all 
the  insulting  tyranny  that  lay  in  this  new  order ; 
but  iron-clad  military  discipline  forbade  even 
a  murmur. 

"  And  now,  gentlemen,"  resumed  the  colonel, 

after  scanning  the  clouded  faces  around  him  for 

another  minute,  "  let  us  proceed  to  the  election 

of  president  of  the  Casino  management,   for 

41 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

the  term  has  just  elapsed.  You,  Captain  Kahle, 
filled  that  position  for  a  year  past,  and  I  rejoice 
to  say  that  the  manner  in  which  you  have  done 
so  has  found  my  full  approval.  Indeed,  gentle- 
men, all  of  us  are  indebted  to  Captain  Kahle,  for 
he  has  done  his  best,  by  devoting  the  larger 
portion  of  his  leisure  hours  to  the  task,  in  im- 
proving the  management  of  our  Casino.  He 
has  enlarged  our  funds,  and  has  introduced  a 
number  of  well-considered  and  highly  welcome 
ameliorations.  It  is  for  this,  I  think,  we  cannot 
do  better  than  to  beg  Captain  Kahle  to  remain 
in  an  office  which  he  has  administered  so  much 
to  our  joint  benefit.  If,  however,  there  should 
be  among  you,  gentlemen,  somebody  to  propose 
another  man,  let  him  speak  up,  for  in  that  case 
we  must  ballot  in  the  regular  manner." 

A  unanimous  murmur  of  approval,  such  as 
never  before  had  greeted  utterances  by  the 
colonel,  ran  through  the  assembly,  and  Kahle 
issued  as  the  choice  of  everybody  from  the  oral 
election.  His  office  of  dictator  of  the  Casino 
was  one  which  involved  much  gratuitous  labor 
and  frequent  abuse,  but  was  of  the  greatest 
importance  to  his  fellows,  since  it  concerned 
42 


THE  CASINO   DANCE 

so  closely  the  most  sensitive  portion  of  a  sol- 
dier's anatomy  —  his  stomach. 

"  It  is  not  necessary  to  inspect  the  books," 
continued  the  colonel ;  "  for  I  feel  quite  sure 
that  everything  is  in  the  best  of  order.  But  one 
more  thing,  gentlemen !  I  cannot  permit  Casino 
bills  to  grow  in  this  avalanche  fashion,  such  as 
has  been  the  case  for  months  past.  It  is  true 
that  the  two  highest  accounts  have  been  settled 
to-day;  but  I  warn  you  that  henceforth  I  shall 
proceed  without  leniency,  if  all  the  outstanding 
bills  are  not  settled  by  the  first  of  next  month. 
Consider  well  what  I  have  said!  Thank  you, 
gentlemen ! " 

Thus  dismissed,  most  of  the  poor  lieutenants 
felt  and  looked  decidedly  blue.  For  some  of 
them  it  meant  another  loan  in  Berlin  or  Cologne 
at  usurious  interest,  with  no  prospect  of  ever 
discharging  the  principal,  which  meant  nothing 
less  than  ultimate  ruin  and  disgrace.  For 
others,  less  reckless  or  with  less  credit  because 
of  more  modest  family  connections,  it  meant 
the  paying  off  in  monthly  instalments  of  their 
debts,  which  always  led  to  a  black  mark  against 
their  names  in  the  regimental  list  of  conduct, 

43 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

minimizing  their  chances  of  promotion  when  the 
list  would  reach  the  eyes  of  the  commanding 
general  and,  finally,  those  of  the  Kaiser  and  of 
his  military  cabinet.  At  best  it  meant  a  tussle 
with  the  pater.  But  golden  youth  does  not  long 
indulge  in  such  gloomy  reflections.  That  is  its 
privilege.  Thus,  then,  after  exchanging  melan- 
choly views,  the  younger  swarm  broke  and  fled 
into  the  garden  or  into  the  cool  veranda. 

Meanwhile  the  ladies  of  the  regiment  con- 
vened in  the  reading-room,  and  with  them  were 
two  young  civilian  gentlemen  who  had  not  been 
able  to  withstand  their  combined  blandishments, 
and  who  had  declared  themselves  ready  to  join 
the  tennis  club.  The  main  business  of  the  even- 
ing was  to  be  transacted;  namely,  the  election 
of  a  board  for  the  tennis  club  and  the  fixing  of 
certain  days  for  play  in  the  courts  near  the 
Casino  building. 

Frau  Konig  alone  had  not  come,  and  her  hus- 
band had  had  formally  to  excuse  her.  The  truth 
was,  she  avoided  as  much  as  she  could  to  meet 
the  wives  and  sisters  of  her  husband's  com- 
rades, for  she  was  not  fond  of  the  malicious,  evil 
gossip  that  formed  their  chief  pleasure  in  life. 

44 


THE   CASINO   DANCE 

This  natural  inclination  on  her  part  had  become 
stronger  since  her  recent  evening  party,  when 
she  had  heard  how  even  most  of  the  officers 
themselves  did  not  scruple  to  retail  disgusting 
bits  of  scandal.  Of  course,  she  was  made  to 
suffer  for  this  exclusive  taste  —  or  distaste 
rather  —  and  she  knew  perfectly  well  that  the 
scandal-mongers  were  only  awaiting  the  slight- 
est opportunity  to  besmirch  her  own  name  and 
that  of  Captain  Konig;  but  even  so,  she  pre- 
ferred her  own  way. 

The  negotiations  in  the  reading-room  lasted 
some  time,  for  each  one  of  the  ladies  had  a  wish 
or  an  idea  of  her  own  to  defend.  Moreover,  it 
required  the  encouraging  words-  of  the  elected 
club  officers  to  induce  a  number  of  newly  arrived 
gentlemen  to  become  candidates  for  admission. 
Of  course  they  knew,  these  sirens,  that  nearly 
all  of  these  candidates  would  never  show  up  at 
the  tennis  courts ;  but  at  any  rate  the  initiation 
and  membership  fees  were  thus  substantially 
increased,  and  the  ladies,  of  course,  paid  no 
dues. 

At  last,  however,  the  folding-doors  of  the 
dining-room  were  thrown  open.  A  substantial 

45 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

but  not  very  elaborate  supper  was  to  be  served 
there.  The  acrimonious  and  strident  voice  of 
the  Frau  Colonel  floated  above  all  this  babel  of 
feminine  noises.  Jn  the  corners  stood,  in  little 
groups,  a  number  of  the  younger  and  older 
officers,  discussing,  in  subdued  accents,  the 
latest  decrees  of  their  superior  officer.  They 
were  still  vibrating  with  suppressed  indignation. 

Captains  Konig  and  Hagemann  made  sport 
of  Frau  Stark,  but  in  such  manner  that  she  never 
suspected  it.  Lieutenant  Pommer  never  quitted 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  Captain  Kahle's 
spouse. 

Supper  over,  nearly  all  the  men  present  had 
the  lively  desire  to  escape  from  this  promiscuous 
gathering,  into  which  they  had  been  inveigled 
under  pretence  of  an  official  matter.  But  such 
was  not  the  intention  of  Frau  Stark,  who  cried 
out  to  the  colonel  in  her  domineering  way : 

"  How  about  this,  Colonel ;  cannot  we  make  a 
good  use  of  this  favorable  occasion  and  arrange 
a  hop?  Nobody,  I  suppose,  would  have  any 
objection?  I  myself  would  think  it  charming, 
—  simply  delicious." 

The  colonel  took  just  one  minute  to  ruminate; 
46 


THE   CASINO   DANCE 

then  he  declared  himself  equally  delighted  with 
the  lady's  idea.  For  her  wish  had  indeed  be- 
come his  law  —  dura  lex  sed  lex. 

The  men  were  in  a  rage.  What  folly  to 
dance,  with  the  thermometer  so  high!  Much 
more  sensible  to  sit  down  quietly  on  the  veranda 
and  drink  cool,  frothy  beer !  Lieutenant  Specht 
felt  particularly  enraged,  for  he  was  to  meet 
his  flame  at  the  train  about  ten.  He  exploded 
his  anger,  saying  to  Borgert : 

"  The  old  woman  is  crazy,  with  her  eternal 
dancing ;  but  let  us  keep  her  in  perpetual  motion 
to-night,  just  to  teach  her  a  lesson,  until  she 
herself  gives  in !  " 

While  the  ballroom  was  being  cleared  of 
chairs  and  got  ready  for  the  hop,  couples  were 
promenading  in  the  garden.  The  golden  sickle 
of  the  moon  shed  dim  rays  over  the  landscape 
and  made  the  towers  and  steeples  of  the  town, 
standing  out  at  some  distance,  appear  like  misty 
silhouettes.  In  the  deep  green  of  the  bushes  a 
nightingale  pealed  forth  his  liquid  plaint  into 
the  balmy  night  air,  while  from  the  ballroom 
inside  the  tuning  of  violins  mingled  inharmoni- 
ously.  From  the  town  gusts  of  warm  wind 

47 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

carried  snatches  of  a  martial  song,  ground  out 
on  the  barrel-organ  of  a  carrousel.  All  these 
noises  rose  in  a  confused  mass  into  the  still  air, 
mingling  with  the  laughter  of  the  women  and 
the  calls  of  the  servants  and  musicians. 

Meanwhile  Borgert  gave  a  gratis  performance 
to  a  number  of  his  younger  comrades.  He  had 
gathered  them  around  him  in  the  tennis  courts, 
where  he  strikingly  imitated  Frau  Stark  in  the 
role  of  a  tennis  player.  He  showed  how  she 
attempted  to  meet  the  balls  with  a  racquet,  and 
how  she  picked  them  up,  until  these  young  men 
were  fairly  dying  with  hilarity.  He  was  too 
funny,  they  said,  and  played  his  improvised 
part  really  to  perfection.  At  last,  however, 
Borgert  tired  of  this  "  manly "  sport,  and  his 
audience  dropped  off,  one  by  one,  joining  the 
dancers  inside.  Borgert,  though,  enjoying  the 
mild  night  air,  lit  a  fresh  cigar  and  strolled 
about  the  garden,  his  habitual  cat-like  tread 
barely  audible  on  the  soft  ground.  Puffing  the 
fragrant  weed,  he  suddenly  spied,  in  the  uncer- 
tain glimmer  of  the  moon,  the  sheen  of  a  white 
summer  robe. 

"Oho!  A  little  intrigue,"  he  thought  to 
48 


THE   CASINO   DANCE 

himself.  "  Maybe  something  of  interest.  Let 's 
reconnoitre ! " 

He  glided  like  a  shadow  among  the  flowering 
lilacs,  heavy  with  perfume,  and  when  a  few  paces 
from  the  figure  in  white,  crouched  and  hid  him- 
self behind  one  of  the  bushes.  He  could  not 
distinguish  the  outlines  of  the  two  figures 
clearly,  but  he  heard  whispering.  First,  in  low 
tones,  he  made  out  the  voice  of  Frau  Kahle, 
cooing  like  a  turtle,  and  next  it  was  the 
basso  profundo  of  Lieutenant  Pommer,  vainly 
endeavoring  to  compress  its  volume  into  a 
murmur. 

"  Amazing !  Has  this  coarse  elephant  turned 
into  a  Romeo,  sighing  like  a  furnace  ?  "  he  said 
to  himself,  and  listened  with  all  his  might. 

The  syllables  and  now  and  then  the  broken 
words  that  he  was  able  to  understand  from  his 
point  of  vantage  seemed  to  afford  him  the 
greatest  delight.  When  the  couple  at  last  rose 
and  disappeared  down  the  path  leading  to  the 
side  entrance  of  the  Casino,  he  left  his  hiding- 
place  and  slowly  followed  in  their  footsteps. 
An  unholy  smile  played  around  his  thin  lips. 
"Two  more  in  my  power!"  he  whispered. 

4  49 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

All  this  time  the  dancers  inside  were  devoting 
themselves,  without  interruption,  to  Terpsi- 
chorean  pleasures,  —  mostly  waltzes,  they  being 
the  special  delight  of  Frau  Stark.  When  Bor- 
gert  entered  the  ballroom  the  band  struck  up  the 
latest  waltz,  —  "  Over  the  Waves,"  —  and  he 
noticed  Frau  Stark,  flaming  like  a  peony,  per- 
spiration streaming  down  her  rubicund  face, 
being  handed,  true  to  his  programme,  by  Lieu- 
tenant Specht  to  his  smiling  comrade,  von 
Meckelburg.  Frau  Stark  just  took  the  time  to 
gulp  a  glass  of  lemonade,  and  then  was  off 
again,  breathing  hard,  but  still  in  the  ring. 
The  atmosphere  in  the  room  was  stifling,  but 
all  the  ladies,  at  least,  seemed  to  enjoy  them- 
selves. Officers'  wives  are  proverbially  insa- 
tiable dancers. 

After  two  rounds  of  the  room  von  Meckel- 
burg was  seen  steering  his  victim  towards  a 
chair  near  the  open  window.  Frau  Stark  sank 
into  it,  literally  exhausted.  She  looked  indeed 
dripping.  The  young  lieutenants  had  had 
their  revenge.  She  had  "  given  in." 

Borgert  meanwhile  had  taken  his  stand  in  a 
corner,  where  he  bent  over  Frau  Leimann,  who 

50 


THE  CASINO   DANCE 

was  seated  and  fanning  herself  with  her  hand- 
kerchief. Although  fatigued  from  heat  and 
dancing,  she  looked  most  seductive  in  her  pale 
blue  tulle,  whose  filmy  lace  clouds  around  throat 
and  bosom  heightened  the  effects  of  her  charms. 
Borgert,  bending  over  her,  sniffed  with  sensual 
delight  a  faint  perfume,  while  he  carried  on  a 
whispered  conversation  in  monosyllables  with 
her  —  a  conversation  which  seemed  to  have 
meaning  but  for  these  two. 

In  the  reading-room  the  orderlies  were  busy 
filling  tulip  glasses  with  that  fragrant  mixture, 
a  May  bowl,  so  grateful  in  its  delicious  iced 
condition,  and  yet  so  deceptive.  Around  a 
plain  table  in  the  small  side  room,  away  from 
the  throng  and  undisturbed,  several  of  the  cap- 
tains, the  colonel,  and  two  of  the  younger  offi- 
cers were  playing  "  skat  "  at  a  penny  the  point. 
One  of  the  lieutenants,  to  judge  from  his  heated 
face  and  the  anxious  look  on  it,  must  be  losing 
heavily.  Had  this  "  little  game  "  been  arranged 
to  encourage  the  men  under  him  in  the  econ- 
omies Colonel  von  Kronau  had  but  now  so 
strongly  recommended  to  them? 

Lieutenant  Specht  just  then  was  taking  French 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

leave.  It  was  necessary  for  him  to  run  to  the 
station  and  meet  the  young  lady  —  a  lovesick, 
pretty  little  milliner  from  Cologne  —  who  for 
the  time  being  dwelt  in  his  unstable  heart. 

Lieutenant  Bleibtreu  sat  in  a  brown  study, 
a  few  feet  away  from  the  players,  deep  in  his 
melancholy  thoughts.  The  army,  his  military 
career,  intercourse  with  his  brother  officers  and 
their  ladies  —  it  was  all  a  grave  disappointment 
to  him.  His  illusions  were  gone,  though  it  was 
but  a  couple  of  years  since  he  had  donned  the 
bright,  showy,  glittering  dragoon  uniform,  so 
attractive  to  the  neophyte.  He  was  thinking  of 
home,  of  his  dear,  patient,  loving  mother,  whose 
constant  preoccupation  he  was;  of  his  lovely, 
self-denying  sisters,' whose  dowry  was  fast  going 
while  he  was  himself  enjoying  himself  in  the 
"king's  service."  Was  he?  Was  he  "enjoy- 
ing" himself?  Was  this  —  this  hollow,  stupid 
round  of  the  coarsest  pleasures  and  the  equally 
coarse  and  stupid  round  of  duties  —  really  what 
he  had  looked  forward  to  ? 

The  young  man  sighed.  The  absence  of  the 
wife  of  his  captain,  Frau  Konig,  rendered  him 
still  more  melancholy.  Bah,  it  was  disgusting. 

52 


THE  CASINO   DANCE 

And  to  think  that  this  was  the  profession  most 
highly  honored,  most  envied  in  the  fatherland! 
To  think  that  it  had  always  been  drummed  in 
his  ears,  ever  since  early  childhood,  that  to 
"  wear  the  king's  coat "  would  exalt  him  high 
above  his  fellow  mortals! 

Comradeship!  What  a  fine  word  when  it 
bears  out  its  full  meaning,  thought  Lieutenant 
Bleibtreu.  But  what  was  it  here?  What  had 
he  found  the  practical  construction  of  the  term  ? 
To  follow,  day  by  day,  step  by  step,  in  the  same 
treadmill  of  dull  routine,  only  relieved  by  occa- 
sional but  all  too  brief  glimpses  of  the  freedom 
that  lay  beyond  "  the  service  "  —  that  was  the 
meaning  of  comradeship.  There  was  none  of 
that  unselfish  intimacy,  that  ready  sympathy 
and  help  between  the  members  of  the  caste  into 
which  he  had  risen  on  the  proud  day  he  first 
read  his  name  among  the  Kaiser's  appointments 
in  the  Armee-Verordnungsblatt.  Dead  sea 
fruit!  Ashes  that  taste  bitter  on  the  tongue. 

Certainly  there  were  exceptions.  He  himself 
had  heard  of  some  such  cases  of  comradeship 
as  he  had  dreamed  of  when  still  a  slim  little 
cadet  in  the  military  academy :  cases  where  one 

53 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

comrade  lifted  the  other,  the  younger  and  less 
experienced,  up  to  his  higher  level ;  cases  where 
one  comrade  sacrificed  himself  for  the  other. 
But  these  must  be  very  rare,  he  thought,  for 
he  had  never  seen  such  a  case  himself.  What 
he  had  seen  was  the  casting  into  one  stiff,  un- 
changing form  of  so  many  individualities  not 
suited  to  each  other.  It  was  the  hollow  mockery 
of  the  thing  that  palled  so  on  him.  And  what 
would  be  the  end? 

Though  young  in  the  service,  he  had  seen 
men  meant  for  better  things  broken  as  a  reed  on 
the  wheel  of  military  formalism;  he  had  seen 
them  retiring  when  but  in  the  prime  of  life, 
broken  in  spirit,  unfit  for  any  new  career,  im- 
paired in  health,  perfectly  useless  —  victims  of 
the  conventional  ideas  that  rule  supreme  in  the 
army.  Others  he  had  seen  forced  to  resign, 
overloaded  with  a  burden  of  debt,  ruined  finan- 
cially, physically,  morally  bankrupt,  —  all  due 
to  the  tinsel  and  glitter,  to  the  ceaseless  tempta- 
tions thrown  into  the  path  of  the  German  army 
officer.  A  young  civilian,  even  when  the  son 
of  wealthy  parents,  is  not  coaxed  and  wheedled 
into  a  network  of.  useless  expenditure,  as  is  the 

54 


THE   CASINO   DANCE 

youngest  army  officer,  waylaid  everywhere  by 
the  detestable  gang  of  "  army  usurers,"  who 
follow  him  to  the  bitter  end,  knowing  that  to 
repudiate  even  the  shadiest  debt  means  disgrace 
and  dismissal  from  the  army  to  every  officer,  no 
matter  if  his  follies  have  been  committed  at  an 
age  when  other  young  boys  are  still  subject  to 
closest  supervision. 

Deep  lines  had  formed  on  Bleibtreu's  smooth 
forehead,  and  he  was  visibly  startled  when  the 
cheery,  round  voice  of  his  squadron  commander, 
Captain  Konig,  recalled  him  to  his  surroundings. 

"  And  that 's  what  they  call  pleasure,"  said 
he,  sitting  down  on  the  sofa  beside  his  young 
lieutenant,  for  whom  he  felt  something  like  pa- 
ternal affection.  "  If  such  entertainments  were 
at  least  arranged  beforehand,  with  the  consent  or 
at  the  instance  of  the  juniors  themselves,  —  for  I 
will  say  nothing  about  us  older  men,  —  but  no ! 
Frau  Stark  commands,  and  the  whole  regiment, 
from  the  colonel  down  to  the  youngest  cornet, 
has  simply  to  obey.  Disgraceful,  I  say.  Why, 
we  cannot  even  choose  our  own  tipple  on  such 
occasions.  The  colonel  simply  orders  that  a 
May  bowl  be  composed,  and  we  have  to  brew  it, 

55 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

drink  it,  and  —  pay  for  it.  This  evening  will 
cost  us  a  pretty  penny  again.  A  glass  of  apolli- 
naris  would  be  far  more  palatable,  and  certainly 
much  cheaper  and  appropriate  at  this  temper- 
ature than  this  confounded  sweetish  stuff,  which 
gives  one  a  headache  fit  to  split  the  skull  next 
morning." 

"  Quite  true,  Captain,"  replied  the  young 
man.  "  This  form  of  quasi-official  pressure, 
even  in  one's  private  expenditures,  is  one  of  the 
worst  curses  of  our  profession.  It  has  indirectly 
caused  the  ruin  of  many  a  promising  young 
officer,  I  've  been  told." 

"  Yes,  my  boy,  you  are  quite  right,"  an- 
swered Konig.  "  It  is  amazing  how  many  offi- 
cers have  been  forced  into  retirement  of  recent 
years,  solely  because  of  unpaid  and  unpayable 
debts.  Things  in  this  respect  cannot  go  on 
much  longer.  For  the  ruin  of  thousands  of 
these  young  officers  means  also  the  ruin  of  their 
families,  and  among  them  many  of  the  oldest 
and  best  in  the  Empire.  An  unhealthy  craze  for 
luxurious  living  has  seized  upon  the  army,  and 
God  alone  knows  how  it  will  end  some  day. 
It  is  a  thing  which  will  and  must  frighten 
56 


THE   CASINO   DANCE 

every  true  patriot,  and  I  wish  our  most  gra- 
cious sovereign  would  take  up  this  matter  more 
earnestly." 

"  Yes,  H.  M.  does  not  attach  enough  impor- 
tance to  this  chapter." 

"  And  yet  the  remedy  would  be  such  a  simple 
one,"  remarked  the  captain.  "  If  H.  M.  would 
simply  issue  a  decree  to  the  effect  that  no  debts 
of  army  officers  up  to  captain's  rank  shall  be 
recoverable  in  court,  that  would  be  the  end  of 
army  usury,  and  with  it  would  be  removed  the 
worst  cancer  of  which  the  whole  army  suffers. 
Once  the  certainty  that  ultimately  they  are  sure 
of  their  money  would  be  gone,  these  leeches 
would  no  longer  trouble  the  gay  and  shiftless 
young  officer  whom  they  now  pursue  with  the 
persistence  of  bloodhounds.  But  what  is  the 
use  of  saying  this?  H.  M.  himself  is  not 
without  blame  in  these  things.  As  long  as  his 
personal  example  all  tells  the  other  way,  how 
can  we  expect  the  army  to  become  prudent  and 
economical  ?  " 

"  However,  Captain,  that  is  not  the  sole 
trouble.  I  think  as  long  as  we  as  a  class  —  or 
caste  —  are  taught  that  we  are  something  better 
57 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

than  the  civilian  population,  so  long  as  we  are 
guided  by  another  code  of  ethics,  erecting  an 
insurmountable  barrier  around  us,  there  can  be 
no  real  reform.  Such  prejudices,  or  rather  such 
systematic  teaching,  must  inevitably  lead  to 
sharp  separation  between  the  professional  sol- 
dier class  and  the  rest  of  the  people.  Good 
heavens,  this  is  the  twentieth  century,  and  no 
longer  the  middle  ages,  we  're  living  in.  Caste 
and  exclusive  privileges  must  go,  else  —  " 

"  Sh !  Sh !  Lower  your  voice,  my  dear  boy 
—  the  colonel  is  looking  our  way,  and  over  there 
stands  Miiller,  the  adjutant,  always  ready  for 
tale-bearing.  Let  us  get  up  and  take  a  stroll  in 
the  moonlight,  or,  better  still,  let  us  go  home." 

The  lieutenant  accompanied  his  •  superior 
officer  as  far  as  the  door  of  his  dwelling,  and 
on  the  way  spoke  in  tones  of  real  concern  of  the 
fact  that  the  cleavage  between  the  private  soldier 
and  his  superiors  was  so  great. 

"  After  all,"  he  remarked,  "  many  of  these 
poor  devils  are  every  bit  as  well  educated  as 
we,  —  some  of  them  even  better,  —  and  as  long 
as  this  is  supposed  to  be  a  '  nation  in  arms,'  and 
not,  as  in  the  eighteenth  century,  an  army  of 
58 


THE  CASINO   DANCE 

mercenaries,  no  such  strict  difference,  socially, 
ought  to  be  made.  Do  you  know,  I  often  think 
the  Socialists  are  not  so  wrong  in  some  things 
they  urge." 

"  For  goodness'  sake,  my  dear  Lieutenant, 
don't  let  any  such  remarks  escape  you  anywhere 
else,"  said  Captain  Konig,  in  a  scared  voice. 
But  they  had  reached  the  captain's  door,  and  so 
they  shook  hands  and  parted. 

Bleibtreu  lived  at  the  other  end  of  the  strag- 
gling little  town.  In  walking  leisurely  home,  he 
followed  his  train  of  thought.  The  systematic 
brutality  shown  the  common  soldier  —  even  the 
noncom.  (though  not  in  so  pronounced  a  man- 
ner) —  by  his  fellow-officers  had  from  the  start 
been  very  much  against  his  taste.  "  They  don't 
see  the  defender  of  the  fatherland  in  him," 
thought  he,  "  but  merely  the  green  man,  unused 
to  strict  discipline  and  to  the  narrowly  bound 
round  of  dull  duties,  the  clumsy,  ungainly  re- 
cruit, or  the  smarter,  but  even  more  unsympa- 
thetic private  of  some  experience  whose  drill 
is  an  unpleasant  task  for  them,  and  who,  they 
know,  hates  and  abominates  them  in  his  heart." 
And  he  remembered  scenes  of  such  brutality, 
59 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

the  unwilling  witness  of  which  he  had  been. 
Such  cruelty  and  abuse  of  power,  he  felt,  was 
playing  into  the  hands  of  the  Socialist  Party. 
"  These  young  men,  fresh  from  the  plough  or 
the  workshop,"  he  mused,  "  cannot  help  losing 
all  their  love  for  the  army.  So  long  as  they 
serve  in  it,  of  course,  they  will  not  risk  those 
punishments  for  expressing  their  real  thoughts 
which  the  military  law  metes  out  with  such 
draconic  severity;  they  will  prefer  suffering  in 
silence  the  injustice,  cruelty,  and  inhuman  treat- 
ment to  which,  at  one  time  or  another,  nearly 
every  one  of  them  is  subjected  during  their 
period  of  active  service.  But  once  dismissed  to 
the  reserve,  how  many,  many  thousands  of  them 
will  naturally  turn  to  the  only  political  party 
with  us  which  dares  to  oppose  with  courage  mil- 
itarism and  all  its  fearful  excrescences!  And 
all  this,"  he  continued  inwardly,  "  is  the  natural 
result  of  a  long  period  of  deadening,  enervating 
peace.  Oh !  If  there  were  but  a  war !  All  this 
dross  would  then  glide  off  us,  and  the  true  metal 
underneath  would  once  more  shine  forth." 

He  went  to  bed  with  these  ideas  still  humming 
in  his  brain. 

60 


THE  CASINO  DANCE 

Borgert  had  been  enjoying  himself  mean- 
while. His  kind  always  does.  He  had,  for  a 
few  moments,  tried  to  listen  to  the  arguments  of 
Captain  Konig  and  Lieutenant  Bleibtreu,  while 
they  were  seated  on  the  sofa ;  but,  pshaw !  how 
absurd  to  philosophize  about  these  things,  he 
thought.  Far  better  to  take  life  as  it  comes. 
And  so  he  had  joined  the  party  at  the  gaming- 
table, where  one  of  the  winners  was  just  then 
standing  treat  for  a  battery  of  Veuve  Clicquot, 
and  as  he  slowly  sipped  the  delicious  beverage, 
the  bubbles  rising  like  rosy  pearls  from  the 
depths  of  his  chalice,  he  smiled  with  self- 
satisfaction. 

But  at  last  he,  too,  left  the  house  and  directed 
his  steps  toward  the  far  end  of  the  garden, 
where  a  small  gate  led  directly  into  the  street 
at  the  end  of  which  he  dwelt.  There!  Again 
Frau  Kahle  and  uncouth,  elephantine  Lieuten- 
ant Pommer!  The  May  bowl,  he  thought,  has 
been  too  strong  for  his  addled  brain.  And  he 
stepped  silently  aside  on  the  velvety  sward, 
under  the  clump  of  lilacs.  The  nightingale, 
from  the  centre  of  a  thicket  a  score  of  paces 
away,  still  fluted  and  trilled  a  song  of  passion. 
61 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

And  something  like  it,  he  made  sure,  big  Pom- 
mer  was  also  pouring  into  the  tiny  ear  of  that 
conquering  flirt,  the  volatile  spouse  of  Captain 
Kahle.  Having  ascertained  this,  First  Lieuten- 
ant Borgert  rapidly  strode  toward  the  interest- 
ing pair,  clinking  his  spurs  and  drawling  forth 
an  accented  "  G-o-o-d  evening !  "  as  he  came  up 
to  them  before  they  had  had  a  chance  to  rise. 
Pommer  looked  indescribably  much  like  an  idiot 
in  returning  the  salute;  but  the  little  woman, 
with  the  ready  wit  of  her  sex,  assumed  the  air 
of  an  immaculate  dove. 

The  players  were  the  last  to  leave  the  Casino, 
—  all  of  them  with  heavy  heads  and  some  of 
them  with  much  lighter  purse.  Among  the 
latter  was  Leimann. 


62 


CHAPTER  III 

THE   CONSEQUENCES   OF  A  MAY   BOWL 

NEXT  morning  the  garrison  —  that  is,  the 
officers  of  it  —  was  slower  and  later  in 
awakening  than  usual.  That  cursed  May  bowl ! 
It  was  precisely  as  Captain  Konig  had  said: 
terrific  headaches  paid  for  indulgence  in  its 
seductive  potency.  Pommer,  poor  Pommer, 
although  waked  by  his  servant  at  the  usual  time, 
was  still  so  much  under  the  influence  of  the 
fumes  that  had  mounted  to  his  silly  head  the 
night  before,  that  the  only  answer  he  was  able 
to  make  to  the  shoutings  of  his  Masovian  *  man 
was  an  unintelligible  grunt.  Then  he  turned 
over  on  the  other  side  and  settled  down  to  a  solid 
sleep. 

At  eleven  he  was  still  peacefully  snoring,  when 
his  man  stepped  up  to  his  bed  once  more,  and 
undertook  such  violent  and  persistent  manipu- 
lations with  the  extremities  of  his  master  that 

1  Masovians,  the  population  of  certain  districts  in  eastern 
Prussia ;  they  are  of  Polish  race.  —  TR. 

63 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

the  latter  finally  opened  his  eyes  far  enough  to 
let  a  little  daylight  and  some  sense  into  his  dazed 
brain.  The  bulky  lieutenant  stretched  himself, 
yawned,  and  at  last  remembered  his  doings  of 
the  night  before.  With  both  mighty  fists  he 
hammered  his  thick  skull  in  disgust  and  despair. 

"  Holy  smoke  —  that May  bowl !  "  he 

groaned,  and  then  sat  down  in  the  chair  beside 
his  couch  to  feel  of  his  head,  which  seemed  a 
gigantic  bass  drum,  hollow  and  reverberating. 
Like  a  flash  his  desperate  flirtation  with  the 
wife  of  his  own  squadron  chief  came  back  to  his 
muddled  consciousness. 

Vaclav,  his  man,  —  whom  he,  for  short,  called 
Watz,  —  brought  in  his  morning  coffee,  and 
after  dressing  with  a  great  running  commentary 
of  grunts  and  groans,  he  sat  down  to  drink  a 
mouthful  of  the  reviving  decoction.  But  his 
brain  was  still  in  a  whirl,  and  the  scenes  of  a 
few  hours  ago  passed  rapidly,  but  in  nebulous 
form,  before  his  clouded  inner  vision. 

Dimly  he  felt  ashamed  of  himself.  He  knew 
he  had  not  behaved  like  a  gentleman,  and  he 
thought  he  remembered  that  somebody  had  wit- 
nessed the  spectacle  he  had  made  of  himself. 
64 


A   MAY   BOWL 

Specht?  Meckelburg?  Or  Miiller?  No  —  he 
thought  not.  But  Borgert?  Yes,  he  thought  it 
was  Borgert.  No,  no.  But  who?  He  gave  it 
up  with  another  groan,  and  took  a  mouthful  of 
the  cold  coffee. 

Anyway,  he  had  behaved  in  a  beastly  fashion. 
That  he  did  know.  But  stop !  Had  she  not  told 
him  how  badly  she  was  treated  by  her  husband 
—  how  neglected  —  had  she  not  appealed  to  his 
gallantry  and  friendship?  He  felt  uncertain. 
All  he  knew  with  certainty  was  that  he  had  been 
a  brute. 

He  buried  his  head  in  his  brawny  hands. 

How  had  it  been  possible  for  him  so  to  forget 
himself  ? 

He  knew :  —  champagne  luncheon  with  that 
fellow  Borgert,  —  a  fellow  whose  powers  of 
consumption  had  never  been  ascertained.  Then, 
at  dinner,  that  heavy  "  Turk's  blood  1  to  which 
Miiljer  had  to  treat  because  of  a  lost  bet.  And 
then,  worst  of  all,  that  thrice-condemned  May 
bowl !  And  had  n't  they  noticed  it,  the  other 

1  "  Turk's  blood  "  ("  Tiirkenblut ")  is  the  name  of  a  mixture 
of  English  porter,  brandy,  and  French  champagne  very  much 
in  vogue  in  the  army.  —  TR. 

5  65 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

fellows,  and  had  n't  they  filled  him  up  notwith- 
standing, or  rather  because,  they  saw  that  he 
could  n't  carry  any  more  liquid  conveniently  ? 
His  big  fist  slammed  the  table. 

There  was  a  knock  at  the  door. 

The  man  with  the  sore  conscience  and  the 
sorer  head  bade  the  unknown  enter. 

It  was  First  Lieutenant  Borgert,  helmet  in 
hand.  He  pretended  astonishment  at  the  evi- 
dent condition  of  his  comrade,  but  eyed  him 
sharply,  and  then  said: 

"  Pardon  me  if  I  come  inopportunely,  but  a 
rather  delicate  matter  induces  me  to  see  you  this 
morning." 

"  Officially  or  privately  ?  "  grunted  Pommer. 

"  Both,  if  you  wish  it,"  answered  the  other. 

"  If  a  private  matter  I  beg  you  will  postpone 
it,"  said  Pommer.  "  Let  us  talk  about  it  some 
other  day." 

"  I  regret  to  say  that  I  must  insist  on  discuss- 
ing the  matter  now,"  retorted  Borgert,  stiffly. 
"  You  are  aware,  of  course,  that  as  the  elder 
man  in  the  service  I  have  the  right,  even  the 
duty,  to  remonstrate  with  you  if  I  see  occasion 
for  it." 

66 


A   MAY   BOWL 

Pommer  reflected  a  moment.  In  years  he  was 
the  other  man's  senior,  and  he  had  also  visited 
a  university  for  a  triennium  before  joining  the 
army,  while  the  other  had  simply  completed  the 
easy  curriculum  of  the  military  academy.  But, 
true,  Borgert  was  a  twelvemonth  ahead  of  him 
in  actual  service.  So  he  silently  submitted. 

"  All  right,  then ;  to  what  matter  do  you 
refer,  sir  ?  " 

Borgert  assumed  the  air  of  a  grand  inquisitor. 

"  Accident  made  me,  last  night,  witness  to  a 
scene  which  I  am  sorry  to  say,  Herr  Comrade, 
I  cannot  otherwise  describe  than  shocking.  It 
was  in  the  most  secluded  spot  of  the  grounds 
near  the  Casino.  The  lady  in  question  —  " 

"  You  need  proceed  no  further,  Herr  Com- 
rade. I  know  perfectly  well  that  I  am  to 
blame." 

"  May  I  ask  you  for  an  explanation  ?  " 

"  I  was  intoxicated.  That  is  the  sole  explana- 
tion I  can  offer." 

"  A  strange  one.  Why,  if  you  cannot  drink 
without  losing  your  senses,  —  why,  then,  do 
you  drink  at  all  ?  " 

"  The  fact  that  I  was  intoxicated  was  due  in 
67 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

large  measure  to  the  very  gentleman  I  am  now 
addressing,  who  would  not  —  " 

'  You  need  not  go  into  such  details,"  Bor- 
gert  interrupted  him.  "  You  do  not  seem  to 
understand  the  gravity  of  your  offence,  and  it 
seems  necessary  that  I  should  enlighten  you  as 
a  younger  comrade  on  that  point." 

Pommer  felt  indignant  at  this  hypocritical 
lecture,  but  before  he  could  reply  to  it  Borgert 
continued : 

"  Your  offence  is  the  most  serious  against 
comradeship  which  can  be  conceived.  Really, 
it  would  be  my  duty  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
lady's  husband  to  it  if  I  did  not  trust  in  your 
sense  of  honor  to  rectify  the  matter  before  any 
more  mischief  is  done.  If  you  will  promise  me 
to  go  at  once  and  ask  the  lady's  pardon,  and  to 
do  all  in  your  power  to  avoid  any  further  cause 
for  scandal,  I  will  on  my  part  forbear  to  mention 
what  I  saw.  You  must  know,  of  course,  that  to 
tell  Captain  Kahle  would  mean  a  challenge,  a 
duel,  your  enforced  resignation  from  the  army, 
and  maybe  your  death,  —  for  he  is  a  good  shot." 

Borgert  was  very  dramatic  as  he  said  this. 
The  role  of  an  austere  prophet,  calling  a  sinner 
68 


A  MAY   BOWL 

to  repentance  and  amends,  had  all  the  spice  of 
novelty  for  him.  Inwardly  he  smiled  at  him- 
self, but  outwardly  he  drew  up  his  tall,  sinewy 
frame  to  its  full  height,  and  cast  a  hypnotizing 
stare  at  the  man  before  him,  now  slowly  recov- 
ering his  usual  sober  frame  of  mind.  And  as 
the  sense  of  his  wrong-doing  began  to  over- 
power poor  Pommer,  he  bowed  his  towzled  head 
in  misery.  Two  big  tears  crept  slowly  down  his 
tanned  cheeks. 

Borgert  went  on: 

"  It  is,  of  course,  your  duty  to  go  at  once  to 
the  outraged  husband  as  well,  and  to  confess 
your  guilt.  As  I  know  Captain  Kahle,  he  is  not 
the  man  to  withstand  a  direct  appeal  to  his  clem- 
ency if  couched  in  appropriately  contrite  terms. 
If  you  will  pledge  me  your  word  of  honor  to  do 
as  requested  and  to  obtain  the  pardon  of  husband 
and  wife,  you  may  count  on  my  silence." 

Pommer  glanced  up.  Tumultuous  feelings 
were  surging  in  his  breast,  and  so  rapid  had  been 
the  revulsion  from  his  first  sentiments  when 
Borgert  had  opened  the  conversation,  that  what 
was  now  uppermost  in  his  mind  was  gratitude 
for  this  discreet  and  wise  friend.  He  rose,  and 
69 


A  LITTLE   GARRISON 

with  a  pathetic  gesture  stretched  forth  his  great 
paw. 

"  Here  is  my  hand,"  he  said,  with  a  hitch  in 
his  voice.  "  I  promise." 

Borgert  clasped  it  a  moment. 

"  Thanks,  many  thanks,  for  your  sympathy 
and  aid  in  this  sorry  business,"  the  junior 
mumbled,  and  surreptitiously  wiped  a  briny 
drop  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye. 

Borgert  left,  very  much  satisfied  with  him- 
self. He  had  now  among  the  younger  officers 
of  the  regiment  another  one  who  would  hence- 
forth swear  by  him.  He  noisily  clanked  down 
the  shaky  wooden  stairs  of  the  humble  house 
wherein  Pommer  occupied  narrow  quarters. 
And  Frau  Kahle,  too,  was  now  in  his  power,  he 
gleefully  reflected.  Besides  all  that,  there  was 
something  positively  piquant  about  the  little 
adventure,  —  something  which  would  fre- 
quently hereafter  furnish  him  with  pleasant 
innuendoes  and  hints,  understood  only  by  those 
immediately  concerned,  and  which  would  supply 
him,  Borgert,  with  an  endless  fund  of  amuse- 
ment. He  intensely  enjoyed  this  propitious 
ending  to  his  machinations. 
70 


A   MAY   BOWL 

Humming  a  tune,  and  feeling  in  the  best  of 
spirits,  he  went  home,  gave  his  servant  sabre, 
cloak,  and  helmet,  and  mounted  the  stairs  lead- 
ing up  to  Frau  Leimann's  apartments. 

She  was  not  alone.  The  adjutant  was  pres- 
ent. Miiller,  in  fact,  had  shirked  his  duties  to- 
day, the  colonel  being  off  on  a  hunting  trip  in 
the  adjacent  extensive  forest,  having  been  in- 
vited thereto  by  the  royal  head  forester  com- 
manding that  district.  Frau  Leimann  greeted 
Borgert  warmly,  and  while  the  latter  and  the 
adjutant  stepped  to  the  window,  looking  at  the 
wife  of  Captain  Konig  and  Lieutenant  Bleibtreu, 
who  were  riding  past  the  house  on  horseback, 
Borgert  seized  the  opportunity  and  deftly  ap- 
propriated the  pretty  woman's  hands,  which  he 
kissed  passionately. 

Then  he  told  them  of  his  interview  with  Pom- 
mer,  —  told  it  in  such  droll  terms  and  with  such 
an  abundance  of  mimicry,  that  his  two  hearers 
could  not  help  laughing  immoderately.  The 
picture  of  ungainly,  rough  Pommer  being  in 
the  sentimental  stage  and  a  prey  to  a  lacerated 
conscience  was  too  exquisitely  ludicrous. 

Meanwhile  Pommer  sat  at  his  desk,  labori- 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

ously  inditing  a  letter  to  his  mother,  to  whom 
he  opened  his  whole  heart,  as  in  duty  bound. 
Several  of  the  strongest  passages  in  his  letter 
were  panegyrics  on  his  new-won  friend,  Borgert, 
whom  he  limned  in  colors  so  brilliant  that  the 
original  would  indeed  have  had  great  trouble  in 
recognizing  himself  in  the  portrait. 

The  lieutenant  had  by  this  time  calmed  down 
a  good  deal,  and  the  blurred  images  of  the  past 
evening  resolved  themselves,  one  after  another, 
into  sane  recollections.  He  now  distinctly  re- 
called the  part  in  the  ugly  intrigue  played  by  the 
woman;  how  she  had  skilfully  led  him  on  to 
make  advances;  how  she  had  smiled  encourag- 
ingly at  his  terms  of  endearment ;  how  she  had 
"  fished "  for  dubious  compliments,  and  how 
she  had,  above  all,  so  alluringly  made  the  most 
intimate  confidences  to  him  as  to  her  marital 
troubles  and  as  to  her  status  of  a  femme  incom- 
prise.  Really,  he  thought  after  quiet  reflection, 
he  himself  was  not  so  much  to  blame  in  this 
affair,  disgraceful  as  it  doubtless  was  when  all 
was  said  and  done.  For  the  woman  herself,  a 
change  of  feeling  took  place  simultaneously. 
The  tender  pity  he  had  felt  for  her  in  his  maud- 
72 


A  MAY   BOWL 

lin  condition  made  room  for  something  akin  to 
contempt  and  dislike.  She  certainly  could  not 
be  a  pure  woman,  a  faithful  wife  and  mother,  he 
thought,  thus  to  invite,  almost  provoke,  the 
passionate  regard  of  a  man  much  younger  and 
less  experienced  than  herself,  —  a  man,  too, 
whom  she  had  known  but  slightly  and  conven- 
tionally hitherto.  In  his  inmost  consciousness 
he  had  almost  absolved  himself  from  guilt  in  the 
matter.  And  as  to  writing  to  her  husband,  or 
confronting  him  with  the  raw  tale  of  her  and 
his  indiscretion,  as  Borgert  had  suggested,  why, 
the  more  he  thought  of  it,  the  less  advisable  a 
step  it  seemed  to  him,  from  every  point  of  view. 
However,  a  promise  was  a  promise,  and  he 
would  keep  it. 

He  donned  his  full  regimentals,  and  issued 
forth  at  the  right  time  for  a  visit  of  the  kind. 

He  did  not  find  Kahle  himself  in,  he  being 
still  away  at  squadron  drill.  But  his  wife  flew 
to  meet  him  as  soon  as  the  parlor  door  had 
closed  behind  the  announcing  servant,  and  her 
reception  was  indeed  such  an  affectionate  and 
even  enthusiastic  one  that  the  words  of  peni- 
tence perforce  died  on  his  lips.  She  drew  him 

73 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

toward  her  on  the  low  lounge,  and  exuberantly 
babbled  on  about  the  comfort,  the  delight  his 
confidence  had  brought  her.  There  was  not  the 
slightest  word  said  by  her  to  show  that  she  had 
disapproved  his  approaches  now  that  the  glamour 
of  the  moment,  the  enervating  effects  of  close 
communion  in  the  warm  air  of  a  spring  night, 
were  gone.  Coquettishly  she  plied  all  her  wiles 
to  captivate  poor  Pommer  anew.  His  pulses 
hammered,  his  senses  were  aflame;  but  he  re- 
mained master  of  himself,  and  sternly  he  re- 
solved to  sever  these  equivocal  relations  with 
a  woman  whom  he  could  no  longer  respect. 
The  weak,  purblind  man  had  been  steeled 
against  further  temptation  by  seeing  a  few  hours 
ago  the  abyss  yawning  at  his  feet,  in  which  an 
illicit  love  had  threatened  to  engulf  him  forever. 
The  image  of  his  mother,  noble  type  of  woman- 
hood, rose  before  his  mind,  and  he  remained 
strong. 

Frau  Kahle,  on  her  part,  at  last  becoming 
convinced  that  all  her  arts  were  thrown  away 
on  this  iceberg,  suddenly  changed  her  tactics, 
and  dismissed  her  visitor  in  somewhat  abrupt 
fashion.  She  swept  from  the  room,  leaving  him 

74 


A   MAY   BOWL 

to  find  his  way  out.  Only  the  intoxicating  per- 
fume which  she  used  by  preference  lingered  a 
moment  longer  in  the  close  air  of  the  room  as 
the  lieutenant  sought  his  way  out;  but  despite 
a  curious  feeling  of  defeat  which  he  could  not 
help  instinctively  feeling,  there  was  subdued 
exultation  in  his  heart.  His  brow  was  serene 
as,  at  the  next  crossing  of  the  street,  he  en- 
countered Borgert,  who  hailed  him: 

"  Well,  Pommer,"  he  shouted  satirically, 
"  how  is  your  headache  ?  And  how  did  you  find 
things  at  Kahle's  ?  —  everything  forgiven  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  everything  forgiven,"  answered 
Pommer,  demurely,  without  going  into  any 
further  details. 

"  Excellent.  Was  a  wise  thing  for  you  to  do 
to  take  counsel  with  an  elder  comrade,  my  dear 
fellow.  Well,  I  am  glad  for  your  sake  every- 
thing ended  well." 

"  Yes,  thanks  to  you,"  said  Pommer ;  and  the 
two  shook  hands  and  parted. 

Pommer  went  home,  well  satisfied  with 
himself. 

He  fancied  that  all  was  now  over  between 
him  and  Frau  Kahle.  His  acquaintance  with 

75 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

women  of  her  stamp  had  never  been  extensive, 
and  to  read  the  soul  of  one  so  utterly  false  and 
grossly  sensual  as  this  inveterate  coquette,  was 
quite  beyond  the  ability  of  Lieutenant  Pommer, 
analysis  of  his  own  or  anybody  else's  character 
not  being  his  strong  point. 

He  had,  however,  miscalculated  Frau  Kahle's 
fascinations  over  his  unsophisticated  self,  and 
decidedly  underestimated  her  craving  for  ad- 
miration. He  was  made  aware  of  this  when  he 
next  met  her,  on  the  day  following.  She  greeted 
him  with  a  smile  so  bewitching  and  a  half- 
expressed  sense  of  intimacy  so  flattering  to  his 
amour  propre,  that  he  was  unable  to  resist. 
Soon  these  two  became  the  talk  of  the  little  town. 
No  matter  if  Pommer,  looking  at  his  inner  self 
within  the  quiet  retreat  of  his  own  bachelor 
quarters,  bitterly  bewailed  his  renewed  fall  from 
grace,  her  influence  over  the  coarser  fibre  in 
his  being  easily  triumphed  over  his  qualms  of 
conscience. 

He  frequently  met  Borgert  during  this  period, 
but  the  latter,  far  from  training  once  more  on 
him  the  battery  of  his  eloquence,  contented  him- 
self with  some  facetious  remark  or  with  a  Me- 
76 


A   MAY   BOWL 

phistophelian  grin.  And  for  Kahle  himself,  he 
was  probably  the  only  one  in  the  garrison  — 
as  is  the  fate  of  husbands  too  often  in  such 
cases  —  who  was  not  in  the  slightest  aware  of 
the  "  goings-on  "  of  his  nominal  partner  in  the 
joys  and  sorrows  of  life.  And,  besides,  his  tasks 
as  chairman  of  the  Casino's  house  committee 
kept  him,  together  with  his  official  duties,  prac- 
tically away  from  home  all  day  long,  and  fre- 
quently far  into  the  night. 

Pommer  was,  as  we  have  seen,  not  precisely 
of  delicate  stuff,  either  bodily  or  in  his  psychic 
makeup.  But  the  chains  he  was  wearing  never- 
theless galled  him,  and  he  not  seldom  ma- 
nosuvred  with  his  charmer  to  obtain  release ;  but 
all  in  vain.  More  than  once  he  thought  seriously 
of  writing  to  Captain  Kahle  himself,  confessing 
his  guilt,  glossing  over  her  own  share  of  it, 
and  offering  all  the  reparation  in  his  power. 
That  would  mean,  of  course,  exposing  his  own 
precious  life  to  the  unerring  bullet  of  the  cap- 
tain; but  even  that  outlook  appeared  to  him 
preferable  to  his  present  life  of  deceit.  He  now 
regretted  that  he  had  not  followed,  the  morning 
after  the  Casino  hop,  his  first  impulse  of  making 
77 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

a  clean  breast  of  it  to  Captain  Kahle.  Thus 
weeks  dragged  on,  and  there  was  no  prospect 
of  a  change  in  a  situation  which  gradually 
became  intolerable  to  him. 

But  suddenly,  without  his  having  done  any- 
thing to  bring  it  about,  the  day  came  that 
granted  him  escape  from  his  degrading  entan- 
glement. The  imperial  order  arrived,  promot- 
ing him  to  the  grade  of  First  Lieutenant  and 
transferring  him  to  another  garrison,  far  in 
the  interior  of  the  country. 

She  was  the  first  person  he  informed  of  it. 

"  Farewell !  We  shall  not  see  each  other 
again ! "  He  spoke  quite  coolly,  almost  cal- 
lously, and  he  left  her  cowering  on  the  sofa  and 
weeping  hysterically.  He  felt  a  free  man  again. 
The  abominable  shackles  had  fallen  from  him. 

If  he  had  seen  Frau  Kahle  five  minutes  after 
he  had  left  her  he  would  not  even  have  retained 
for  her  a  vestige  of  that  first  tenderness  that  had 
swept  over  him  that  night  in  the  Casino  garden. 
For  when  he  had  retired,  and  she  had  heard 
his  step  on  the  flagging  of  the  hall  below,  she 
had  quickly  risen  and  peered,  from  behind  the 
lace  curtains,  into  the  street  after  his  vanishing 
78 


A   MAY   BOWL 

figure.  Then  she  had  sat  down  at  the  piano  and 
intoned  a  merry  Strauss  waltz. 

But  then  she  reflected  that  they  might  call  her 
heartless.  So  she  had  indited  a  long,  passionate 
farewell  letter  to  him.  He  showed  it,  the  night 
before  his  going,  to  Borgert  at  the  Casino.  They 
were  all  his  guests  that  night.  Borgert  had 
screamed  with  laughter. 

"  What  a  devilish  smart  little  woman  she  is, 
after  all,"  he  had  exclaimed.  And  then,  poising 
in  mid-air  his  champagne  glass,  he  said,  nodding 
to  Pommer : 

"  Here  's  to  her  and  her  simpleton !  " 

He  spoke  from  experience. 


79 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE   CASE   OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

E.TE   in   the   forenoon   of   a   raw   day   in 
autumn   Vice-Sergeant-Major   Roth  was 
seated  in  his  comfortably  heated  room,  and  near 
him  Sergeant  Schmitz.     Each  was  enjoying  a 
cup  of  coffee. 

The  quarters  occupied  by  Roth  were  situ- 
ated on  the  second  story  of  the  regimental  bar- 
racks, and  made  at  first  sight  the  impression  of 
elegance  and  almost  wealth,  precisely  as  though 
the  occupant  were  a  member  of  the  upper  ten 
thousand.1  It  required  a  closer  examination  to 
become  convinced  that  a  good  deal  of  these 
apparently  costly  trappings,  as  well  as  the  fur- 
niture and  wall  decorations,  was  not  what  it 
seemed,  and  that,  to  produce  by  all  means  the 
effect  sought  for,  taste  and  appropriateness  had 

1  A  vice-sergeant-major  in  the  German  cavalry  receives  in 
legitimate  pay  and  emoluments  and  rations,  if  married,  about 
one  dollar  per  day.  But  it  is  notorious  that  peculations,  hush 
money,  and  bribes  from  privates  often  swell  his  income  to  ten 
times  that  amount.  — TR. 

80 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

been  sacrificed.  The  wall  paper  of  arabesques 
in  green  and  blue,  which  the  government  had 
furnished,  did  not  harmonize  with  the  hangings 
or  carpets.  The  paintings  on  the  wall  were 
cased  in  heavy  gilt  or  oak  frames,  so  unskilfully 
placed  as  to  conceal  in  spots  the  very  wall  itself. 
Above  the  scarlet  plush  sofa  hung  a  reproduction 
of  Lenbach's  "  Prince  Bismarck,"  and  to  right 
and  left  of  it  abominable  oil  chromos  repre- 
senting horses.  Against  the  opposite  wall  stood 
a  piano  in  stained  oak,  showing  glittering  silver- 
plated  candelabra.  Neither  Roth  himself  nor  his 
worthy  better  half,  formerly  saleswoman  in  a 
shop,  possessed  the  slightest  knowledge  of  the 
art  of  manipulating  such  an  instrument.  But 
there  was  a  story  connected  with  this  showy 
piece  of  furniture  —  a  story  that  even  now,  years 
after  the  events  themselves  occurred,  brought 
tears  of  rage  to  the  eyes  of  the  "Vice."  To 
the  young  corporal  of  his  own  squadron  who 
on  Sunday  afternoons  strummed  on  the  piano, 
he  used  to  say  in  pathetic  accents,  that  those 
"  one  year's  volunteers " 1  had  treated  him 

1  "  One  year's  volunteers  "  are  those  young  soldiers  in  the 
German  army  who,  by  reason  of  superior  education  and  because 
6  81 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

most  outrageously;  and  from  his  own  point  of 
view  he  was  probably  right. 

During  the  first  year  of  their  married  life  the 
"  Frau  Vice-Sergeant-Major,"  full  of  a  sense 
of  her  new  dignity,  had  painfully  felt  the  lack 
of  an  "  upright "  or,  better  still,  a  "  grand," 
inasmuch  as  she  regarded  such  an  instrument 
as  an  irrefutable  evidence  of  belonging  to  the 
higher  walks  of  life.  She  asserted,  besides,  that 
in  her  girlhood  she  had  received  instruction  on 
the  piano,  —  an  assertion  which  nobody  was  able 
to  dispute  because  that  period  lay  about  a  gen- 
eration back.  She  admitted  that  she  had  for- 
gotten whatever  of  piano  playing  she  might  ever 
have  known ;  but  she  felt  quite  sure  that  a  piano 
in  her  parlor  would  restore  the  lost  nimbus,  and 
then  —  perhaps  the  most  potent  reason  of  all  — 
the  wife  of  her  husband's  "  colleague  "  in  the 
second  squadron  owned  a  piano,  and  had  taken 
great  care  to  let  her  know  the  fact  soon  after 
she  had  become  Frau  Roth. 

Roth   himself,  probably  under  the  influence 

they  pay  for  their  own  uniforms  and  accoutrements,  serve  but 
one  year  in  the  active  army.  They  belong,  of  course,  mostly  to 
the  well-to-do  classes,  and  generally  are  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
officers  in  the  reserves.  —  Tn. 

82 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

of  his  partner's  urgings,  had  frequently  and 
with  due  emphasis  spoken  to  that  year's  crop 
of  "  one  year's  men  "  about  the  great  musical 
talents  of  his  wife,  now,  alas!  lying  fallow  for 
want  of  a  piano  of  her  own,  and  he  had  coupled 
these  remarks  with  plaints  that  the  smallness 
of  his  resources  prevented  the  purchase  of  such 
an  instrument.  These  remarks,  coming  from 
one  who  had  it  virtually  in  his  power  to  obtain 
for  each  one  of  the  "  one  year's  men  "  promotion 
after  the  fall  manoeuvres,  had  at  last  borne  fruit. 
One  day  the  aforesaid  stained  oak  piano  had 
been  unloaded  at  Roth's  door,  accompanied  by 
a  round-robin  from  the  volunteers  themselves, 
in  which  they  waxed  duly  enthusiastic  over 
his  wife's  imaginary  musical  proficiency.  Of 
course,  the  supposed  gift  had  been  accepted,  and 
of  course  every  one  of  the  supposed  donors 
was  advanced  in  rank  the  following  autumn, 
due  to  Roth's  brilliant  testimonials  of  their 
prowess  and  exceptional  fitness  for  a  higher 
grade. 

Roth  never  saw  these  "  one  year's  men " 
again,  but  about  a  week  after  their  departure 
from  the  regiment  a  cart  stopped  before  his 

83 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

door,  and  the  driver  said  he  had  come  to  take 
the  piano  back  to  the  factory,  the  term  of  pre- 
paid hire  having  expired.  Decidedly  a  dirty 
trick  on  the  part  of  these  young  fellows,  all 
the  more  so  as  Frau  Roth  had  by  this  time 
bragged  so  much  about  her  piano  to  every  one 
of  her  female  friends  and  neighbors,  to  whom 
she  had  represented  it  as  a  belated  wedding  gift 
from  a  far-away  uncle!  The  couple  agreed  it 
would  never  do  to  return  the  instrument  to 
the  makers,  and  thus  it  was  that  the  Roths  were 
still  paying  for  this  piano  in  monthly  instal- 
ments, one  "  gold  fox  "  *  each  time,  a  number 
of  years  afterwards,  with  quite  a  long  time  yet 
to  run.  No  reasonable  person  will  blame  Vice- 
Sergeant-Major  Roth  for  the  aforementioned 
tears  of  rage. 

Hanging  above  the  piano,  one  could  admire 
a  huge  steel  engraving  of  Vernet's  "  Funeral 
Banquet,"  also  in  an  expensive  frame  (the  gift 
of  a  parting  young  soldier,  son  of  a  wealthy 
farmer)  ;  while  antlers,  Japanese  fans,  a  pea- 
cock's tail,  etc.,  helped  to  produce  a  somewhat 

1  "  Gold  fox,"  a  slang  term  for  the  German  twenty-mark 
gold  pieces.  —  TR. 

84 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

incongruous  ensemble.  There  was  a  pretty  ma- 
hogany stand,  on  the  various  shelves  of  which 
stood  a  large  china  punch-bowl,  six  green  Rhine- 
wine  glasses  (both  gifts  from  other  "  grateful " 
recruits).  There  was  also  a  solid  oak  writing- 
table,  on  one  corner  of  which  Frau  Roth  had 
stood  the  cages  for  her  canary  birds,  just  then  in 
the  interesting  stage  of  breeding,  and  therefore 
voiceless.  A  huge  portrait  of  the  Kaiser,  with 
two  crossed  sabres  and  a  pair  of  pistols  under 
it,  and.  a  cuckoo  clock  were  exhibited  on  the  wall 
close  by.  There  was  also  a  big  flower  table, 
but  on  near  view  it  was  seen  that  its  fine  roses 
and  tulips  had  not  originated  in  a  hothouse,  but 
under  the  scissors  of  an  artist  in  tissue  paper. 

On  the  floor  were  to  be  seen  two  white  goat- 
skins and  three  small  mats  of  domestic  make, 
as  well  as  a  genuine  Kelim  (gift  from  "  one 
year's  men"),  and  a  thick  plush  table-cover, 
as  well  as  plush  draperies,  helped  to  make  an 
impression  which,  combined  as  it  was  of  so 
many  ill-fitting  details,  was  far  from  the  one 
intended. 

Glancing  at  the  lowering  sky  through  the 
east  windows  of  this  room,  big,  shapeless  clouds 

85 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

of  gray  could  be  observed  slowly  driving  along ; 
it  looked,  in  fact,  like  a  cheerless  and  stormy 
ocean,  monotonous  in  its  uniform  tint.  Now 
and  then  showers  of  cold  hail  or  rain  tore  away 
from  this  chaos,  and,  pitched  hither  and  thither 
by  howling  winds,  swept  across  the  town  or  over 
the  desolate  fields. 

When  the  rain  thus  whipped  the  window- 
panes  and  the  boisterous  west  wind  whistled 
and  roared  in  the  stove-pipe,  it  was,  by  very 
contrast,  all  the  more  comfortable  in  this  warm, 
cosy  room,  where  one  felt  like  humanely  pitying 
the  poor  comrades,  now  far  out  on  the  parade 
field,  drilling  for  dear  life  in  the  open. 

This  was  the  time  of  year  when  the  regiment 
ordered  into  a  shorter  or  longer  term  of  renewed 
active  service  its  reserve  men,  who  were  then 
temporarily  quartered  in  the  sheds  and  loosely 
constructed  pavilions  erected  behind  the  bar- 
racks proper.  At  such  a  time  and  in  such 
weather  it  was  by  no  means  pleasant  to  be  out 
on  the  drill  grounds  for  the  space  of  a  whole 
afternoon,  and  then,  returning,  to  find  one's 
quarters  cold,  dripping  with  rain ;  and  to  stand 
shivering  in  clothes  and  boots  thoroughly  soaked. 
86 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

Those  corporals  and  sergeants  detailed  for  the 
instruction  of  recruits  under  the  roof  of  the  big 
barracks  hall,  and  those  told  off  for  stable  or 
other  indoor  service,  were  well  off  in  comparison. 

For  the  non-commissioned  officers  generally, 
however,  and  especially  for  Roth,  there  was 
profit  connected  with  the  annual  recall  of  the 
reserves;  for  it  meant  increased  pay,  and  it 
meant  a  great  increase  in  pickings  of  every  kind. 
Roth  had  been  detailed  as  sergeant-major  for 
the  first  reserve  squadron,  and  he  was  glad  of  it. 
There  were  among  these  reserves  a  number  of 
men  he  knew  to  be  "  flush "  of  money,  and 
whom  he  understood  how  to  handle.  There 
were  also  some  "  one  year's  men,"  who,  nearly 
all  of  them,  had  open  hands  and  well-filled 
pockets.  By  shutting  an  eye,  or  maybe  both 
sometimes,  thus  easing  the  severe  discipline  for 
them,  he  was  sure,  at  the  end  of  their  brief  term 
of  supplementary  service,  to  have  the  larger 
portion  of  their  "  gold  foxes  "  in  his  own  pocket. 
Roth  was,  therefore,  with  such  prospects  before 
him,  in  the  best  of  spirits.  He  was  likewise  in 
a  confidential  mood. 

Schmitz  was  "  foddermaster  "  of  the  fourth 
87 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

squadron  and  detailed  to  the  reserve  squadron 
for  the  time  being.  He  was  a  very  competent 
man.  Whoever  wished  to  convince  himself  of 
that  needed  but  to  visit  the  horses  belonging  to 
his  squadron.  He  would  have  seen  them  with 
silky  coat,  round  in  limb,  and  full  of  dash  and 
life,  standing  above  their  fetlocks  in  the  clean, 
shining  straw.  His  stable,  too,  was  always  a 
model  of  neatness  and  cleanliness.  Even  the 
walls  were  always  well  whitewashed  and  the 
grated  windows  shining.  Sergeant  Schmitz,  in 
fact,  made  a  labor  of  love  of  his  duties. 

When  he  went  down  the  main  aisle  of  his 
big  stable,  and  then  turned  and  walked  between 
the  rows  of  his  smooth-coated  darlings,  it  was 
amusing  to  see  these  animals,  all  of  them  at  once 
recognizing  his  step,  his  voice,  his  touch;  how 
they  turned  their  heads  around,  whinnying  and 
glancing  affectionately  at  him  if  he  called  to 
one  or  the  other  of  his  favorites. 

There  was,  for  instance,  Clairette,  a  charming 
little  roan,  which  followed  him  like  a  dog,  and 
with  her  nostrils  forever  sniffed  at  his  pockets 
for  sugar,  and  then  rose  on  her  hind  legs  or 
lifted  her  left  foreleg  beggar-fashion.  There 
88 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

was  the  "  Ahnfrau,"  a  dainty  little  horse, 
though  old  as  the  hills,  with  a  coat  black  as 
sloes,  and  which  because  of  long  faithful  ser- 
vice and  because  of  the  shrewd  wisdom  that 
comes  with  age,  was  in  favor  with  the  whole 
regiment  and  was  often  fed  some  sweet  morsel. 
The  special  pride  of  the  foddermaster,  however, 
was  the  "  twelve  Chinamen."  They  had  been 
bought  in  China,  had  then  gone  through  the 
campaign  against  the  Boxers,  had  had  their 
share  in  the  capture  of  Peking,  and  had  then, 
at  the  close  of  the  Far  Asiatic  War,  been  en- 
rolled in  the  regiment.  They  were  fine,  power- 
ful horses,  with  shining  coats  and  strong  bones, 
even  if  some  of  them  did  not  reach  the  height 
of  "Peiho,"  "Woo,"  and  "  Kwangsue,"  but 
were,  strictly  speaking,  but  ponies.  Each  one 
of  the  horses  had  its  special  claim  on  the 
affections  of  this  man  who  now  sat  chatting 
with  his  "  Vice  "  at  the  table. 

Just  then  Frau  Roth  entered,  carrying  a  tray 
neatly  covered  with  a  snowy  napkin,  on  which 
stood  a  bottle  of  fragrant  Moselle  wine,  three 
glasses,  and  a  narrow  box  of  cigars. 

"  The  devil !  You  're  living  high,  Roth !  I 
89 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

wish  I  had  such  easy  times  myself.  What 's 
up?"  said  Schmitz,  in  amazement. 

"  I  have  my  birthday  anniversary  but  once 
a  year,"  remarked  Roth,  sententiously,  "  and 
on  such  occasions  it 's  worth  while  spending 
something." 

His  wife  poured  the  wine  into  the  green 
"  Romer," *  and  each  of  the  three  raised  a 
glass  of  wine  whose  delicious,  flower-like  per- 
fume and  whose  straw-yellow  color  told  them 
that  this  noble  grape- juice  had  been  distilled  by 
the  sun  on  one  of  the  favored  hills  rising  steeply 
along  the  banks  of  the  upper  Moselle.  Then 
they  cried,  "  Prosit "  and  clinked,  so  that  the 
fine  glass  emitted  a  bell-like  sound.  Then  they 
sipped  with  the  air  of  connoisseurs.  The  little 
scene  was  an  unconscious  imitation  of  similar 
ones  they  had  often  noticed  the  officers  of  the 
garrison  enact  with  a  certain  solemnity.  In 
wine-growing  countries  they  enshroud  with  a 
time-honored  ceremonial  the  ceremony  of  drink- 
ing wine  of  quality. 

1  "  Romer,"  the  name  of  prettily  shaped  glasses,  usually  of 
amber  or  emerald  hue,  in  which  Rhine  and  Moselle  wines  are 
served.  —  TR. 

90 


CASE  OF   SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

The  two  men  lit  their  cigars,  each  bearing  the 
well-known  narrow  band  of  a  famous  import- 
ing firm,  and  next  they  refilled  their  glasses. 
They  had  another  hour  until  the  time  for  the 
evening  stable  service  should  come,  and  there 
was  nothing  to  do  meanwhile,  for  First  Lieu- 
tenant Specht,  temporarily  in  command  of  the 
reserve  squadron,  never  appeared  during  the 
afternoon  service.  Hence,  there  would  be  no 
disturbance. 

"  Will  you  be  off  on  leave  at  Christmas  ?  " 
asked  Roth  of  his  friend. 

"  Don't  know  yet,"  Schmitz  replied,  with  a 
shrug  of  his  shoulders.  "  I  should  like  to,  for 
I  haven't  been  outside  this  dirty  hole  of  a 
town  for  two  years;  but  it  is  hardly  worth 
my  while  to  undertake  such  a  long  trip  for 
the  few  days,  for  I  don't  suppose  I  should  get 
more  than  a  week  off,  and  it  takes  me  forty- 
eight  hours  to  reach  my  home  —  it 's  at  the 
other  end  of  the  world,  you  know  —  and  that 
much  to  return.  So  I  should  have  but  a  couple 
of  days  to  myself,  after  all  my  trouble  and 
expense." 

"What  is  the  fare?"  asked  Roth. 

91 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

"  About  thirty  marks,  and  I  have  n't  that  much 
to  spare." 

Roth  laughed  disdainfully. 

"  Such  a  trifle  only !    Ho  ho  ho !  " 

"  Well,  you  can  laugh,  of  course,"  retorted 
Schmitz,  good-naturedly.  "  It  would  n't  mean 
anything  to  you.  But  suppose  you  have  n't  got 
that  much  money,  what  then  ?  " 

"  I  '11  lend  you  that  trifle,"  said  the  "  Vice," 
pompously. 

"  Say,  you  must  have  been  winning  in  the 
lottery,  old  friend !  You  're  spending  money 
like  water  for  some  time  past.  Every  short 
while  you  're  making  a  run  into  town ;  you  're 
smoking  genuine  Havanas;  and  you're  even 
ready  to  lend  money!  At  the  very  least  you 
must  have  come  into  an  inheritance." 

"  No,  mine  is  not  dead  men's  money,"  Roth 
sneered.  "  All  it  takes  is  to  be  shrewd  and 
to  gather  up  all  the  money  that  crosses  your 
path." 

"  I  suppose  you  've  slain  a  rich  Jew !  "  J 

"  Not  precisely,"  said  Roth,  mysteriously. 

1  "  Slain  a  rich  Jew,"  a  German  phrase  for  "  suddenly  ac- 
quired wealth."  —  TR. 

92 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT  SCHMITZ 

"  Well,  I  don't  catch  your  meaning,"  put  in 
the  other. 

Roth  winked  at  his  wife  and  then  at  Schmitz, 
to  show  that  she  was  not  to  hear  his  confidences ; 
but  when  she  rose  immediately  after,  to  fetch 
another  bottle  of  wine,  he  said  in  whispers: 

"  I  '11  tell  you,  if  you  want  to  know ;  but  —  " 
he  put  his  index  finger  significantly  to  his  mouth 
—  "  Mum  's  the  word !  " 

"  Oh,  of  course ;  don't  be  afraid.  I  never 
betray  my  pals !  " 

"Well,  then,  I  will  tell  you.  This  is  the 
second  time  I  am  in  command  of  the  reserves. 
Last  time  we  had  a  whole  lot  of  one  year's 
volunteers  amongst  them,  mostly  well-to-do 
farmer  boys.  You  remember  '  Fatty  '  Kramer, 
that  swine,  and  Rossbach,  whose  father  at  home 
has  twelve  horses  in  the  stable,  and  Scheller, 
the  fellow  who  was  always  running  after  the 
girls,  and  that  whole  crowd?  Fellows  of  that 
sort,  you  see,  don't  know  what  to  do  with 
their  money,  and  I  would  n't  be  such  an  ass 
as  to  give  them  their  pay,  their  uniform  allow- 
ance, and  so  on;  they  don't  care  about  those 
measly  few  coins.  Scheller,  besides,  gave  me 

93 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

a  chance  to  make  some  money  outside  of  that. 
The  last  night  before  he  had  finished  his  two 
years,  I  happened  to  inspect  his  quarters,  it 
being  considerably  past  taps.  And  what  do  I 
see  but  this  very  fellow,  Scheller,  together  with 
—  well,  you  knpw  —  and  as  I  was  just  about  to 
raise  the  deuce,  he  whispers  in  my  ear :  '  Don't 
say  anything,  please ! '  Well,  then,  I  kept  my 
mouth  shut,  and  at  noon  the  following  day  there 
was  a  '  blue  rag ' l  in  my  overcoat  pocket." 

"  The  deuce  you  say !  What  luck !  But  sup- 
posing these  fellows  afterwards  give  you  away, 
especially  if  they  don't  get  their  promotions?" 

"  Oh,  they  won't  say  anything;  they  are  glad 
enough  if  they  can  stay  away  from  the  army. 
As  to  promotions,  most  of  them  were  not  the 
kind  to  think  about  such  a  thing." 

"  Well,  I  in  your  place  should  be  afraid  there 
might  be  trouble  some  time,  and  then  think  what 
a  rumpus  there  would  be!  " 

"  Leave  me  alone  for  that.  Just  now  there 
are  a  couple  more  of  these  rich,  stupid  fellows; 
there  is  the  son  of  a  butcher  in  Brunswick  whose 

1  "  Blue  rag,"  German  slang  term  for  bank  notes  of  large 
amount.  —  TR. 

94 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

father  must  be  worth  a  million  or  so,  and  the 
others,  too,  have  lots  of  money  to  burn.  What 
do  you  suppose  I  '11  make  out  of  them  before 
they  leave  the  squadron?  They  are  worth  at 
least  a  couple  of  hundred  apiece  to  me.  Well, 
Prosit!  "  They  clinked  glasses. 

The  glasses  rang  out  harmoniously,  and  the 
next  instant  they  were  emptied  of  the  last  drops. 

"How  do  you  like  this  stuff?  Costs  six 
marks  the  bottle!  Of  course,  /  didn't  pay  for 
it,"  —  with  another  wink. 

"  Horribly  expensive ;  where  did  you  get  it?  " 

"  Last  year,  you  remember,  that  one  year's 
volunteer,  Hoch?  When  he  wanted  to  become 
sergeant,  I  did  my  best  for  him  with  the  Chief, 
and  so  he  got  the  chevrons.  And  he  was  not 
ungrateful.  A  whole  box  of  wine  —  two  dozen 
of  these  bottles.  Pretty  decent,  wasn't  it?" 

"  You  're  lucky,   sure  enough !  " 

"  You  see,  my  friend,  how  these  things  must 
be  done.  Always  practical :  that 's  my  motto. 
Last  year,  for  instance,  I  had  charge  of  the  mess 
provisions.  The  butcher  put  in  a  good  many 
bones  now  and  then,  and  I  don't  think  that  he 
ever  gave  over-weight.  Naturally,  I  was  after 

95 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

him,  and  the  result  was  a  '  blue  rag '  every  week 
from  him,  and  my  family  meat  did  n't  cost  me 
a  red,  either." 

Roth  broke  into  a  hearty  laughter.  He 
slapped  his  pocket  jocularly,  and  the  jingling 
sound  of  gold  and  silver  met  their  ears.  Then 
he  gulped  down  another  glassful  of  the  delicious 
wine. 

"  Why  don't  you  drink,  Schmitz  ?  I  suppose 
you  are  full." 

"  As  to  that,  no;  that  takes  longer.    Prosit!  " 

In  this  style  the  conversation  proceeded,  and 
when  they  had  emptied  their  third  bottle  it  was 
very  evident  that  they  had  drunk  about  as  much 
as  was  good  for  them.  Their  eyes  had  assumed 
a  glassy  stare,  and  their  faces  were  scarlet. 
Moreover,  their  speech  was  loud  and  blustering, 
and  Roth,  particularly,  was  unable  longer  to  talk 
coherently,  except  with  difficulty. 

Suddenly  he  looked  at  the  clock.  "  Six,  by 
thunder.  Time  to  look  after  the  stables !  " 

"  Yes,  let 's  go,"  said  Schmitz ;  "  we  must 
get  to  the  stables,  the  beasts  are  hungry !  " 

They  arose  reeling.  Roth  girded  his  loins 
with  his  sabre,  and  both  of  them  went  clattering 
96 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

down  the  stone  stairs  of  the  barracks.  The  sabre 
struck  the  steps  all  along,  as  Roth  descended 
heavily,  and  there  was  a  terrific  noise. 

Several  soldiers  stuck  out  their  heads  as  the 
two  went  along;  and  when  they  noticed  their 
intoxicated  superiors  they  quickly  retreated  into 
their  own  rooms,  saying :  "  They  surely  have 
enough!  If  one  of  us  went  about  in  that  way 
we  'd  be  ripe  for  a  pretty  long  term  in  the 
cooler." 

At  the  turn  of  the  corridor  Dietrich,  a  good- 
service  man  belonging  to  the  fourth  squadron, 
stepped  up  to  Roth  and  said :  "  I  'd  like  to  ask 
the  Herr  *  Vice '  for  some  coal  for  Room  X. 
My  men  have  been  out  in  the  rain  foraging,  and 
all  of  us  are  wet  to  the  skin.  It  is  very  cold 
upstairs,  and  unless  we  can  heat  the  stove  our 
clothes  will  not  dry  till  to-morrow." 

"What!  Coal?  Go  to  the  quartermaster, 
you  loafers ;  I  have  n't  any  coal  for  you ! " 
spluttered  Roth  with  a  heavy  tongue. 

"  The  quartermaster  has  gone  to  town,  and 
the  Herr  '  Vice '  keeps  the  keys  to  the  cellar  in 
such  cases ! " 

"  Get  out  of  my  way,  you fool !  You 

7  97 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

don't  need  coal  every  time  a  few  drops  of  rain 
fall.  Lie  down  in  bed,  you  pack  of  swine,  if  you 
are  cold,  and  leave  me  alone  with  your  impudent 
complaints." 

Dietrich  stood  for  a  moment  in  doubt,  not 
knowing  whether  it  would  be  safe  to  make 
another  rejoinder.  But  he  saw  plainly  that  the 
"  Vice  "  was  in  an  irresponsible  condition,  and 
so  silently,  but  with  rage  in  his  heart,  he  turned 
on  his  heels  so  that  the  spurs  jingled,  and  went 
back  to  his  men. 

In  the  stables  hardly  anybody  remained,  the 
men  having  attended  to  their  duties  and  retired. 
Only  the  stable  guard  was  to  be  seen. 

For  stable  guards  men  are  taken,  by  prefer- 
ence, whose  health  has  suffered  in  the  hard  ser- 
vice at  this  inclement  season.  One  of  them  had 
incipient  consumption,  the  regimental  surgeon 
having  noticed  the  man's  condition  only  a  week 
after  his  joining  the  squadron,  and  now  the 
colonel  thought  it  was  not  worth  while  discharg- 
ing the  man.  The  second  one  of  these  reserves 
had,  since  his  civilian  life,  nursed  himself  so  well 
as  to  have  acquired  a  regular  paunch,  so  that  the 
quartermaster  had  been  unable  to  fit  him  with 
98 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT  SCHMITZ 

any  of  the  uniforms,  and  the  man,  put  into  a 
soiled  canvas  suit,  had  been  permanently  as- 
signed to  stable  duty.  The  third  of  this  inter- 
esting trio  was  something  of  an  idiot,  hailing 
from  the  Polish  districts.  He  grinned  like  a 
maniac,  and  he  was  entirely  unfit  for  drill  or  any 
other  kind  of  service  that  required  even  the 
faintest  degree  of  intelligence ;  but,  having  been 
laborer  with  a  Polish  peasant,  he  knew  how  to 
handle  horses  and  to  clean  the  stable.  He 
addressed,  in  his  broken  German,  everybody, 
including  the  officers,  as  "  Thou,"  and  doffed  his 
cap  in  token  of  military  salute. 

The  foddermaster  felt  frightened  when  he 
became  aware  that  feeding  time  was  already 
considerably  past,  for  he  regarded  the  horses 
under  his  care  with  great  affection.  He  there- 
fore called  up  the  stable  guards  and  hurried 
them  with  a  "  Quick,  now,  you  lazybones ! "  The 
fodder  wagon  was  loaded  with  oats  and  chopped 
straw  and  then  pushed  into  the  main  aisle  of  the 
stable.  The  creaking  of  this  vehicle  was  for 
the  horses  the  most  joyful  music  every  day.  As 
soon  as  the  sound  struck  their  ears  they  became 
lively,  raised  their  heads,  craned  their  necks,  and 

99 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

turned  around,  as  far  as  their  halters  would  per- 
mit, to  watch  the  operation.  They  evidently 
had  thought  themselves  forgotten  to-night,  and 
there  was  a  keen  edge  to  their  appetites,  so  that 
some  of  them  became  a  little  unruly,  kicking, 
neighing,  and  nipping  at  their  neighbors  out  of 
sheer  sportiveness.  "  Napoleon,"  the  ancient 
stallion,  had  been  devoured  by  such  an  acute 
sensation  of  hunger  that  as  soon  as  the  fat  guard 
aforementioned  came  near  him  with  the  measure 
he  tore  it  out  of  the  man's  hands  and  gave  him 
such  a  push  against  his  paunch  that  the  guard 
dropped  the  oats  and,  pressing  both  hands 
against  the  injured  part,  ran  out  into  the  aisle. 

Roth,  watching  things,  saw  this  incident,  and 
shouted  to  him : 

"  Go  on,  you  lazy  lubber,  pick  the  stuff  up 
again!  Your  fat  carcass  won't  be  damaged  by 
such  a  little  blow !  " 

The  fat  individual,  however,  made  no  move 
to  obey,  but  continued  to  hold  his  paunch,  while 
tears  of  pain  stood  in  his  eyes,  and  his  face 
assumed  a  livid  hue.  Roth  strode  up  to  him 
and  began  to  belabor  him  with  both  fists,  show- 
ering hard  blows  on  neck  and  head.  Then, 
100 


grasping  him  by  the  throat,  Roth  turned  the 
man's  head  around  and  administered  such  a 
well-aimed  blow  on  his  nose  as  to  draw  blood. 
Under  this  punishment  the  ungainly  soldier  rose 
with  difficulty,  then  bent  down  and  began  to 
collect  the  overturned  oats.  Roth,  however,  in 
his  drunken  fury  gave  the  man  a  kick  with  his 
heavy  boot,  sending  him  against  "  Napoleon," 
whose  hind  legs  he  embraced  in  an  effort  to 
maintain  his  equilibrium. 

But  that  was  more  than  "  Napoleon  "  would 
stand.  First  he  didn't  get  his  oats,  and  then 
such  practical  jokes!  He  struck  out  with  both 
hoofs,  hitting  the  poor  devil  of  a  guard  against 
some  of  the  most  sensitive  portions  of  his  anat- 
omy, and  hurling  him  into  the  aisle  like  one  dead. 

Roth  was  frightened.  Fortunately  for  him 
nobody  had  seen  the  incident,  for  Schmitz,  with 
the  other  two  men,  happened  just  then  to  be  busy 
at  the  other  end  of  the  stable.  So  he  merely 
called  the  other  two  reserve  men,  and  made 
them  carry  his  unconscious  victim  to  the  reserve 
quarters  close  by.  The  whole  business,  though, 
was  very  disagreeable  to  him,  for  the  poor  fellow 
had  been  hit  hard. 


When  the  first  lieutenant  the  next  morning 
asked  why  the  injured  man  had  been  taken  to 
the  hospital,  Roth  answered: 

"  He  was  too  clumsy  in  handling  the  horse, 
—  frightened  it,  and  the  beast  naturally  struck 
out.  I  understand  he  has  got  a  good-sized  hole 
in  his  head." 

"  What  a  beastly  fool,"  scolded  the  officer. 
"  By  rights  the  fellow  ought  to  be  put  in  jail 
besides,  as  he  will  only  spoil  our  horses."  But 
that  was  the  next  morning.  On  the  evening 
in  question,  as  soon  as  the  accident  had  hap- 
pened, Roth  felt  in  worse  temper  than  ever. 
He  looked  around  for  some  one  on  whom  to 
vent  his  spleen. 

He  looked  in  the  fodder  chest. 

"  Give  the  rest  to  '  Zeus  ' ;  he  has  n't  got  quite 
enough,  and  he  looks  as  lean  as  a  goat,"  he  said 
to  Schmitz. 

"  No,"  Schmitz  retorted ;  "  he  won't  get  any 
more.  He  has  got  enough  —  more  than  is  good 
for  him,  —  and  this  morning  he  struck  out  and 
hit  a  man.  The  horses  are  getting  crazy,  stand- 
ing all  the  time  in  the  stable  and  munching  their 
oats." 


IO2 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

"  Oh,  give  it  to  him  anyway ;  he  can  stand 
it!" 

"  But  why?    It 's  nonsense!  " 

Roth  had  a  new  access  of  fury;  nothing 
enraged  him  as  much  as  to  be  contradicted. 

"  Give  him  the  rest,  I  say ! "  he  said  roughly 
to  Schmitz. 

But  Schmitz  shut  the  lid  of  the  chest  and 
answered  shortly : 

"  I  'm  glad  when  I  can  save  some  fodder ! " 
And  with  that  he  pushed  away  the  cart. 

Roth,  quite  beside  himself,  shouted: 

"  Sergeant  Schmitz,  you  will  not  carry  out 
my  orders?  I  shall  report  you." 

In  saying  which  he  left  the  foddermaster 
in  a  huff,  went  with  uncertain  steps  and  with 
black  mien  through  the  stable  to  his  own  quar- 
ters, drank  a  big  glassful  of  raw  spirits  "  to 
quiet  his  nerves,"  and  then  threw  himself  full- 
clad  on  the  bed. 

The  two  guards  in  the  stable,  who  had  ob- 
served these  occurrences  with  considerable  in- 
terest, stuck  another  handful  of  hay  in  front  of 
each  horse,  and  then  lay  down  on  the  straw  in 
the  corner  of  the  stable  to  sleep.  Sergeant 
103 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

Schmitz,  however,  went  to  his  room,  completely 
sobered. 

The  following  noon  the  orderly  transmitted 
to  the  reserve  squadron  of  the  regiment  a  docu- 
ment reading  as  follows: 

REPORT 

On  the  occasion  of  the  stable  service  last  night 
Vice-Sergeant-Major  Roth  gave  to  Foddermaster  Ser- 
geant Schmitz  a  formal  order,  which  the  latter  did 
not  carry  out.  When  the  said  Vice-Sergeant-Major 
Roth  emphatically  repeated  the  order,  the  aforemen- 
tioned Schmitz  refused  once  more  to  comply  there- 
with. This  happened  in  the  presence  of  the  stable 
guards,  and  it  is  charged  by  the  aforesaid  Roth  that 
Sergeant  Schmitz  was  at  the  time  in  an  intoxicated 

condition. 

SPECHT, 

First  Lieutenant  and  Squadron  Chief 
of  the  zd  Reserve  Squadron. 

The  foddermaster  happened  to  be  seated  at 
his  noon  meal,  when  the  sergeant-major  stepped 
up,  announced  his  arrest  to  him,  and  took 
him  to  the  lock-up.  There  he  was  to  remain 
until  sentence  should  be  pronounced  in  his  case, 
for  his  offence  had  been  officially  designated 
as  "  Peremptory  refusal  of  obedience  in  the 
104 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

presence  of  men  assembled."  As  such  "  men 
assembled  "  the  two  guards  of  the  stable  were 
regarded  in  the  eyes  of  the  law. 

The  incident  was  reported  from  mouth  to 
mouth  throughout  the  regiment,  and  by  far  the 
greater  majority  were  indignant  at  Roth's 
action.  Even  the  officers  themselves  declared 
unanimously  that  such  a  superior  as  Roth  ought 
to  be  got  rid  of. 

But  Roth  thought  he  had  done  something 
heroic,  and  seemed  great  in  his  own  eyes.  When 
off  duty  he  declared  he  liked  comradeship,  and 
was  ever  ready  for  a  good  joke,  not  taking 
offence  at  anything.  But  when  on  duty,  why, 
the  devil,  they  should  see  that  he  was  not  to  be 
trifled  with.  Every  species  of  intimacy  or 
friendship  was  at  an  end  when  on  duty.  Then 
it  was :  I  order,  and  you  have  to  obey,  else  I  '11 
break  your  neck ! 

And  Sergeant  Schmitz  all  this  time  was  in 
his  gloomy,  cold  cell.  Lifeless  and  broken  in 
courage,  he  was  staring  at  the  rough  stone  flag- 
ging through  the  long  hours  of  the  day.  He 
thought  he  was  dreaming,  and  could  not  or 
would  not  believe  that  he  was  behind  lock  and 

105 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

key  because  of  a  military  offence.  Why,  he  had 
nine  long  years  of  service  behind  him,  in  which 
he  had  conducted  himself  blamelessly,  never 
having  been  punished  for  a  day. 

Slowly,  indeed,  the  seriousness  of  the  situa- 
tion dawned  on  him,  and  with  this  consciousness 
grew  up  a  violent  hatred  of  the  man  whom  he 
had  deemed  his  friend,  and  who  now,  under  the 
influence  of  alcoholic  rage  was  about  to  destroy 
the  fruits  of  all  his  life  and  those  he  had  counted 
to  garner  in  the  future.  But  he  would  show 
the  regiment,  once  he  was  a  free  man  again, 
what  a  low  character  the  fellow  really  had,  and 
how  behind  his  hypocritical  and  insinuating 
manners  were  concealed  systematic  dishonesty 
and  fraudulent  practices.  Nobody  should  be 
deceived  by  him  again.  He,  Schmitz,  would 
take  care  of  that. 

That  he  was  to  be  court-martialed  seemed  to 
be  beyond  question.  And  as  a  matter  of  fact 
he  was  charged,  as  he  knew,  with  "  peremptory 
refusal  to  obey  " ;  but  the  trial  must  certainly 
show  that  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  his 
offence  were  of  such  a  character  as  to  deprive 
it  of  all  seriousness,  and  that  really  there  had 
106 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

been  but  an  exchange  of  words  which,  although 
an  official  character  might  be  attributed  to  it, 
could  not  possibly  be  viewed  with  great  severity 
when  once  all  the  facts  had  been  established. 
He  counted,  of  course,  among  these  facts  his 
intimate  intercourse  with  Roth;  but  this  point 
would  have  to  be  clearly  and  skilfully  brought 
out  at  the  trial,  for  on  that  hinged  the  issue. 

Sergeant  Schmitz  prayed,  therefore,  for- 
mally, in  a  petition  to  the  regiment,  for  legal 
counsel,  and  at  the  same  time  for  permission 
to  enter  with  such  counsel  into  oral  and  written 
communication. 

He  was  amazed  when  informed  a  few  days 
later  that  legal  counsel  could  be  provided  by 
military  courts  only  in  those  cases  where  the 
defendant  was  accused  of  a  crime.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  communication  said,  there  was 
no  objection  to  his  retaining  a  suitable  lawyer, 
but  of  course  at  his  own  expense. 

But  where  get  the  money  for  such  a  lawyer? 
Schmitz's  slender  means  and  those  of  his  parents 
at  home  were  by  no  means  sufficient  for  the 
purpose,  and  yet  he  felt  that  he  had  no  chance 
in  his  defence  if  he  were  to  face  the  judges  of 
107 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

the  military  court,  and  Roth  himself,  whose 
persuasive  powers  of  language  he  knew  so  well. 
He  would  be  unable,  with  his  very  insufficient 
command  of  language,  to  enlighten  the  court 
in  an  impressive  manner  as  to  intimate  details. 
Somehow,  therefore,  the  money  must  be  raised. 

After  three  weeks  of  preliminary  confine- 
ment, the  term  was  at  last  fixed  at  which  the 
trial  was  to  take  place.  Schmitz  felt  that  he 
could  await  its  issue  with  a  clear  conscience. 
Even  his  counsel  had  told  him  that  an  unfavor- 
able end  was  not  to  be  expected,  as  soon  as 
the  judges  had  been  made  acquainted  with 
the  circumstances  preceding  the  actual  trifling 
occurrence  in  the  stable.  Schmitz  expected, 
therefore,  that  the  term  at  which  he  was  to  be 
tried  would  also  be  the  day  of  regaining  his 
liberty ;  for  the  last  few  weeks,  what  with  suffer- 
ing from  hardships,  from  the  insufficient  and 
coarse  jail  diet,  and  from  worry,  had  been  ter- 
rible ones  indeed  for  him. 

Even  the  formal  indictment  drawn  up  against 

him,  of  which  a  copy  had  been  sent  him,  could 

not  repress  his  hopes.     He  knew  that  in  such  a 

document  everything  concerning  him  and  his 

1 08 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

offence  was  naturally  represented  in  the  darkest 
colors,  so  as  to  leave  the  judge-advocate  suffi- 
cient grounds  on  which  to  bring  the  proceedings 
against  him  to  the  point  of  actual  trial. 
The  document  read : 

"  Proceedings  have  been  opened  against  Sergeant 
Ferdinand  Julius  Schmitz,  on  motion  to  that  effect, 
because  of  an  offence  against  Paragraph  94  of  the 
Military  Criminal  Code. 

"Although  the  defendant  maintains  that  he  has 
been  on  particularly  friendly  terms  with  Vice-Sergeant- 
Major  Roth,  that  would  in  no  way  justify  him  in  dis- 
obeying an  order  issued  while  in  the  performance  of 
duty.  On  the  contrary,  his  refusal  to  obey  two  peremp- 
tory and  emphatic  orders,  given  in  the  presence  of  the 
stable  guard,  and  therefore  before  men  assembled,  was 
a  most  glaring  instance  of  insubordination. 

"The  excuse  of  defendant,  that  he  was  in  an  ex- 
cited condition  by  reason  of  indulgence  in  alcoholic 
liquors,  in  nowise  exculpates  him.  The  circumstance 
that  his  offence  has  been  committed  while  intoxi- 
cated during  the  performance  of  his  duty,  is  rather 
an  additional  reason  for  increasing  the  measure  of 
his  punishment. 

"  Defendant  will  be  tried  by  court-martial." 

That   sounded   indeed   very   dangerous,   just 
as  if  he  were  a  criminal  of  the  deepest  dye,  — 
109 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

he,  who  for  nine  years  had  conducted  himself 
blamelessly.  He  was  almost  tempted  to  laugh 
at  this  accusation,  which  seemed  to  him  so 
strongly  tinctured  with  prejudice. 

On  October  2Oth,  at  noon  precisely,  the  trial 
began. 

The  judges  had  come  to  town  from  the  seat 
of  the  command  of  the  army  corps.  With  faces 
severe  and  forbidding,  they  sat  at  a  long  table, 
—  a  major,  a  captain,  a  first  lieutenant,  a  judge- 
advocate  to  conduct  the  proceedings  according 
to  the  statutes,  and  a  second  one  to  conduct  the 
prosecution. 

After  Schmitz  had  given  an  intelligent  ac- 
count of  the  facts,  Roth  was  called  as  witness. 
He  represented  the  affair  in  the  most  glaring 
colors,  denied  all  friendship  with  the  defendant, 
and  likewise  denied  in  the  strongest  language 
that  he  also  had  been  intoxicated,  as  Schmitz 
had  stated.  By  hook  or  crook  he  had  gained 
over  as  witnesses  for  his  sober  condition  on  that 
evening  the  invalid  afflicted  with  lung  trouble, 
and  likewise  the  Pole.  The  latter,  because  of  the 
semi-idiotic  state  of  his  mind,  and  because  of 
his  insufficient  knowledge  of  German,  he  had 
no 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT    SCHMITZ 

instructed  to  simply  nod  his  head  to  all  the 
questions  asked  him.  As  luck  would  have  it, 
it  so  happened  that  the  questions  put  to  this 
witness  were  of  a  kind  to  which  his  mute  nods 
were  the  answers  most  unfavorable  to  the  de- 
fendant. The  wonder  was,  however,  that  the 
court  made  no  objection  to  such  testimony. 
Finally  the  "  Vice  "  swore,  with  a  voice  shaken 
by  no  tremor,  to  the  truth  of  his  deposition. 

This,  of  course,  was  an  unexpected  turn  in  the 
affair.  Schmitz  had  not  expected,  and  he  had 
not  forearmed  himself  against  such  a  tissue  of 
lies.  His  hopes  sank  considerably  when  he 
noticed  that  the  major,  as  chairman  of  the  com- 
mission, was  shaking  his  head  in  grave  disap- 
proval on  hearing  the  unfavorable  testimony. 

Next  followed  the  address  of  the  prosecuting 
judge-advocate,  which  conformed  in  almost 
every  detail  to  the  substance  of  the  act  of 
accusation. 

Then  Schmitz's  counsel  arose.  In  eloquent 
words  he  described  the  event  as  it  had  actually 
occurred,  weighed  the  peculiar  circumstances, 
and  pointed  with  great  emphasis  to  the  former 
intimacy  of  accuser  and  defendant,  —  an  inti- 
iii 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

macy  the  existence  of  which  had  been  corrobo- 
rated by  several  witnesses  who  had  deposed 
during  the  preliminary  stage  of  the  case. 
Lastly,  he  made  as  much  as  he  could  out  of  the 
fact  that  the  whole  occurrence  had  been  an 
outgrowth  of  a  friendly  birthday  celebration. 
In  consideration  of  all  these  things,  and  also 
because  of  the  irreproachable  conduct  of  the 
defendant  for  so  many  years  of  active  service, 
he  moved  for  his  acquittal. 

The  court-martial  then  retired  for  delibera- 
tion, and  a  long  time  elapsed  before  its  members, 
wearing  a  severe  aspect,  reappeared  in  the 
session  chamber. 

Schmitz  was  in  a  dazed  condition  when  he 
heard  the  sentence :  two  months  of  jail ! 

He  saw  his  life  destroyed.  In  vain  had  been 
the  long  years  which  he  had  given,  at  the  sacri- 
fice of  his  best  strength,  to  his  country.  His 
dream  of  a  future  free  from  care,  and  of  an 
appointment,  after  another  three  years  of  ser- 
vice, to  a  municipal  office  of  an  humble  kind  in 
his  native  town,  had  been  shattered  at  one  blow. 
What  would  his  parents  say,  his  sisters  and 
brothers,  and  what  would  become  of  the  girl  to 

112 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

whom  he  had  been  engaged  for  several  years 
past  ? 

A  fierce  rage  seized  him,  and  he  could  have 
throttled  on  the  spot  the  man  who  by  perjury, 
out  of  vindictiveness  and  for  selfish  reasons, 
had  marred  his  existence  forever.  The  blood 
rushed  to  his  head  as  he  saw  this  same  man 
striding  past  him  now,  a  sneer  on  his  lips,  in 
haughty  indifference.  Nay,  worse,  he  heard 
the  commander  of  the  regiment  say  to  this  dis- 
honorable scoundrel: 

"That  is  right,  Roth.  Unpitying  in  the 
service  is  what  I  want  my  non-commissioned 
officers  to  be." 

Schmitz  was  taken  to  a  fortress  on  October 
2  ist,  where  many  hours  of  mental  torture  and 
many  days  of  hard,  grinding  labor  of  the  lowest 
kind  awaited  him. 

Thus  gradually  approached  Christmas  time. 
The  wide  yard  of  the  barracks  was  covered 
with  snow.  All  lay  desolate,  lifeless,  and  grim 
in  the  severe  cold  which  had  supervened  during 
the  last  days. 

A  large  part  of  the  regiment  had  been  granted 
holiday  leave,  and  every  one  of  the  men  did  his 
8  113 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

utmost  while  on  duty,  in  order  not  to  forfeit 
at  the  last  moment  the  joys  of  home  and  friend- 
ship which  awaited  him. 

Almost  every  evening  the  members  of  the 
corps  of  officers  rode  to  the  neighboring  city, 
there  to  make  Christmas  purchases;  for  only 
one  of  them  intended  to  go  home  for  the  holi- 
days, and  the  others  were  preparing  a  little 
celebration  at  the  Casino  for  which  mutual  gifts 
were  being  chosen. 

Borgert  and  Leimann  both  returned  from 
their  divers  trips,  heavily  laden  with  packages. 
They  bought  everything  that  pleased  them.  It 
might  be  that  at  some  future  time  they  would 
somehow  have  the  money  to  pay  for  it  all. 
Meanwhile  every  tradesman  continued  to  give 
them  unlimited  credit. 

After  making  their  purchases,  the  officers 
usually  met  in  a  certain  restaurant,  where  they 
broke  the  necks  of  a  few  bottles  of  good  wine. 
And  often  it  would  happen  that  they  boarded 
the  midnight  train,  being  in  a  decidedly  ani- 
mated mood,  returning  to  their  garrison. 

One  night  Lieutenant  Mtiller,  the  regimental 
adjutant,  found  an  official  telegram  on  his  reach- 
114 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT  SCHMITZ 

ing  home,  and  was  obliged,  despite  the  late 
hour,  to  go  to  the  chief  clerk  of  the  regiment, 
in  order  to  talk  over  its  contents. 

There  had  been  a  heavy  fall  of  snow,  and  the 
keen  east  wind  drove  the  snowflakes  in  a  wild 
dance  through  the  cold  air.  It  was  all  one 
could  do  to  recognize  the  path. 

Miiller,  who  did  not  like  being  disturbed  at 
such  a  late  hour,  continued  grumbling  to  himself 
all  the  way  to  the  barracks.  Whenever  he  had 
taken  more  than  was  good  for  him  he  was  in 
a  quarrelsome  mood,  and  in  such  a  case  he 
usually  made  trouble.  His  comrades  claimed 
that  he  was  suffering  from  megalomania. 

Through  the  thick  snow  Miiller  saw  the  illu- 
minated windows  of  the  guard  house,  and  inside 
the  small  detachment  of  men  were  peacefully 
slumbering. 

The  officer  du  jour  had  already  visited  them, 
and  the  men  had  now  made  themselves  com- 
fortable, discarding  their  sabres  and  helmets, 
contrary  to  the  regulations,  and,  dozing  in  their 
chairs,  had  covered  themselves  with  warm 
blankets. 

Private   Rose   had   mounted   guard   outside. 

"5 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

He  stood,  shivering  in  the  cold  air,  holding  his 
sabre  in  his  fist,  barely  able  to  maintain  his 
martial  attitude  without  freezing  on  the  spot. 

His  thoughts  dwelt  in  his  far-away  home, 
with  his  parents  and  brothers,  whom  he  ex- 
pected to  meet  again  at  Christmas,  after  a  long 
term  of  separation.  His  people  were  well-to- 
do  farmers,  and  his  affection  for  the  horses, 
cows,  and  plump  pigs  under  his  father's  roof 
was  as  sincere  as  that  for  the  bipeds.  He  pic- 
tured to  himself  all  these  pets,  and  was  specu- 
lating as  to  what  he  was  to  do  in  the  shape  of 
amusement  during  the  holidays,  when  he  was 
suddenly  scared  by  the  shout: 

"  Guard ! " 

Rose  pulled  himself  together  and  quickly 
glanced  all  around  him  in  the  gloom ;  but  he 
was  unable  to  discover  the  owner  of  the  voice. 
Another  similar  shout  reached  him,  and  then  at 
last  he  saw  dimly  in  the  driving  snowflakes  a 
figure  approaching  him. 

"  Why  don't  you  present  arms,  you  swine?  " 
bawled  the  regimental  adjutant. 

"  I  humbly  beg  the  Herr  Lieutenant's  pardon ; 
but  I  did  not  see  him  coming  in  the  snowstorm." 
116 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

"  Shut  your  mouth,  you  lying  beast ;  you  've 
been  sleeping.  I  have  been  waiting  an  eternity 
for  your  salute;  but  I  will  show  you,  you  hog, 
what  punishment  awaits  a  fellow  of  your 
stripe ! " 

With  that  he  passed  the  sentinel,  and  the 
latter  was  almost  paralyzed  with  fear.  Arrived 
at  the  regimental  headquarters,  Miiller  made 
the  following  report: 

"The  sentinel  keeping  guard  between  twelve  and 
two  o'clock  this  night  I  found  asleep  during  an  in- 
spection which  I  made.  He  answered  my  call  only 
after  a  considerable  time.  I  must  declare  in  advance 
that  the  man,  in  case  he  should  urge  his  inability  to 
recognize  me  in  the  dark,  is  stating  what  is  not  true, 
since  I  noticed  particularly  that  he  was  asleep." 

This  report  he  placed  on  the  desk  of  the  com- 
mander of  the  regiment.  Then  he  aroused  the 
regimental  chief  clerk  from  a  sound  sleep  in 
the  adjoining  room,  kept  that  poor  fellow  shiv- 
ering in  his  night  garments  in  the  corridor  for 
about  ten  minutes,  and  then  went  home.  Hav- 
ing discharged  what  he  considered  a  grave  duty, 
he  was  able  to  sleep  the  sleep  of  the  just. 


117 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

On  the  afternoon  of  December  22d,  Sergeant 
Schmitz  returned  from  jail. 

The  poor  fellow  had  greatly  changed.  The 
black  moustache,  formerly  twisted  and  waxed 
so  as  to  describe  an  angle  in  exact  imitation  of 
the  Kaiser's,  was  drooping,  and  his  face  was 
pale  and  worn.  He  looked  shyly  at  all  the  pri- 
vates whom  he  met  in  the  streets,  and  when 
one  of  them  saluted  him,  he  deemed  it  a  special 
act  of  courtesy.  He  thought  he  read  in  every- 
body's eyes: 

"  This  man  is  a  criminal,  —  a  man  punished 
for  grave  insubordination !  " 

When  he  reported  himself  to  the  chief  of  the 
squadron,  the  latter  said,  with  some  show  of 
feeling : 

"  Sorry,  my  dear  Schmitz,  that  I  have  to  lose 
you.  You  were  always  a  man  of  whom  I  felt 
proud,  and  who  did  his  duty  as  few  others  did. 
But  the  colonel  has  commanded  me  to  cancel  the 
capitulation  agreement1  and  to  dismiss  you  forth- 
with. Console  yourself  with  the  thought  that 

l  "  Capitulation  "  means  an  arrangement  by  which  a  non- 
commissioned officer  agrees  to  serve  the  government  for  a  cer- 
tain term  of  years.  —  TR. 

118 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

you  have  become  the  victim  of  a  dirty  intrigue. 
I  wish  you  well,  and  if  I  can  be  of  any  service 
to  you,  you  know  where  to  find  me.  And  so, 
farewell!" 

Schmitz  felt  the  tears  spurting  from  his  eyes, 
as  his  chief  went  towards  the  stable.  His  cap- 
tain was  really  sorry  to  lose  him.  Schmitz  had 
always  been  one  of  the  pillars  of  discipline  in 
the  squadron,  and  now  this  train  of  misfortune 
had  removed  him  and  plunged  him  into  misery. 
It  was  a  most  unfortunate  thing. 

Schmitz  went  to  the  sergeant-major,  who 
gave  him  his  papers  and  the  fifty  marks  due 
him.  The  sergeant-major,  too,  felt  sorry  for 
him.  He  gave  him  a  fervent  shake  of  the 
hand. 

"  Have  you  any  further  claims  on  the  regi- 
ment, Schmitz  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Since  the  manoeuvres  last  year  I  Ve  been 
suffering  with  rheumatism." 

"  But  you  did  n't  tell  me  about  that,  Schmitz, 
at  the  time,  and  considerably  over  a  year  has 
elapsed  since  then." 

"  Well,  I  did  n't  report  it  then  because  I  did 
not  want  to  disturb  the  run  of  things  by  my 
119 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

absence.  I  knew  the  captain  was  bothered  a 
good  deal  at  the  time." 

"  Yes,  yes,  that  is  all  very  well.  I  will  re- 
port your  statement  at  once  to  the  regiment, 
but  I  'm  afraid  it  will  be  too  late.  Meanwhile 
you  had  better  deliver  up  all  the  regimental 
property." 

So  then  Schmitz  went  up  to  his  room,  packed 
all  his  things,  and  put  his  private  belongings  in 
a  small  trunk.  But  before  doffing  his  uniform 
he  went  to  the  neighboring  city  and  purchased 
for  himself  a  civilian's  suit,  a  collar,  and  a  hat. 
These  took  about  all  the  money  which  had  been 
paid  him. 

Then  he  carried  everything  of  the  govern- 
ment's outfit  to  the  quartermaster,  to  whom  he 
likewise  sold  some  of  the  private  regimentals 
he  had  bought  with  his  own  money.  The  sabre 
he  kept  as  a  memento. 

And  then  came  the  hardest  of  all,  —  the  fare- 
well from  his  comrades  and  his  horses.  Every 
one  had  a  friendly  word  for  him,  for  he  had  been 
a  good  comrade  and  had  never  been  puffed  up 
with  his  own  importance.  Many  a  mute  pres- 
sure of  the  hand  told  him  that  they  all  felt  sorry 
120 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

for  him,  and  that  they,  as  much  as  he  himself, 
thought  the  treatment  to  which  he  had  been 
subjected  an  act  of  injustice.  The  privates,  too, 
pressed  up  to  him  to  say  a  word  of  good-bye. 
Often  he  had  berated  them  soundly,  but  they 
all  knew  him  as  a  decent  fellow,  and  as  one  who 
had  never  badgered  them  unnecessarily. 

As  the  noon  service  drew  towards  its  close, 
Schmitz  went  into  the  stable.  What  a  pang  for 
him!  Never  in  his  life  had  a  thing  seemed  so 
hard  to  him.  All  the  beasts  he  loved  so  well 
turned  and  craned  their  necks  towards  him, 
leaving  the  savory  hay  and  their  oats  for  a 
moment  as  soon  as  they  heard  his  voice,  and 
gazing  at  him  with  such  intelligence  as  if  they 
appreciated  his  woe  to  the  full.  The  sense  of 
desolation  almost  overpowered  him. 

He  had  filled  his  pockets  with  sugar,  and  he 
began  with  "  Clairette,"  feeding  the  sweet  mor- 
sels to  all  his  quadruped  friends.  "  Clairette  " 
lifted  her  forefoot,  begging  for  one  more  piece. 
He  laid  his  head  against  the  velvety  neck  of  the 
animal,  stroking  caressingly  the  silky  nostrils 
and  around  the  fine  eyes,  then  kissing  her  on 
the  white  spot  just  below.  The  mare  seemed  to 

121 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

understand  him.  She  whinnied  softly,  and  gave 
him  a  sad  glance  of  parting.  Next  came  old 
"  Marie."  How  much  longer  would  she  be  able 
to  stand  the  service  ?  And  thus  he  visited  them, 
one  by  one,  in  token  of  farewell.  The  last  one 
was  "  Napoleon  " ;  but  even  he  showed  to-day 
no  trace  of  his  accustomed  ill  temper.  He  gave 
the  strange  man  in  civilian  clothes  a  long  look 
of  doubt  and  forbearance. 

A  last,  lingering  glance  to  his  hundred  dar- 
lings, and  then  he  painfully  suppressed  a  tearful 
sob,  and  climbed  up  to  his  late  quarters  to  get 
his  trunk. 

There  he  met  the  sergeant-major  of  his 
squadron. 

'  Your  invalid  claims,  Schmitz,  have  been 
disallowed.  The  colonel  says  you  would  have 
had  to  make  a  report  at  the  time.  Now  it  is 
too  late.  Just  as  I  thought.  Here  is  something 
for  you,  —  the  bill  of  your  attorney,  who  has 
asked  the  regiment  to  collect  the  amount  due 
him.  It 's  a  matter  of  sixty  marks ;  and  if  you 
are  unable  to  pay  it  he  threatens  to  seize  your 
property." 

Schmitz  had  almost  forgotten  about  that. 

122 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

"  Within  an  hour  I  shall  have  the  money," 
said  he,  after  reflecting  a  moment. 

Then  he  went  down  to  the  city  and  entered 
the  store  of  a  watchmaker.  He  laid  on  the 
counter  his  watch  and  chain  and  asked  in  a  firm 
voice : 

"  What  will  you  give  me  on  this?  I  need 
money !  " 

The  watchmaker  examined  both,  and  then 
said,  with  something  of  a  sneer : 

"  Twenty  marks.  That  is  all  I  can  give 
you." 

Schmitz  calculated  silently.  He  still  had 
thirty-five,  and  twenty  more  made  fifty-five.  So 
he  needed  another  five  marks.  He  removed  a 
ring  from  his  finger,  a  little  gift  from  his 
mother. 

"  What  is  this  worth  to  you?  " 

"Ten  marks!" 

"  Good,  give  it  to  me !  " 

Schmitz  pocketed  silently  the  two  gold  pieces, 
then  went  to  the  barracks,  paid  the  sergeant- 
major  the  sixty  marks,  and  took  his  trunk  away. 
He  was  just  in  time  to  catch  the  evening  train. 

Those  who  saw  this  pale,  downcast  man,  with 
123 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

his  small  trunk,  seated  in  the  car,  scarcely  sup- 
posed that  he  was  until  recently  a  royal  Prussian 
sergeant,  dismissed  in  disgrace  from  long  ser- 
vice because  of  a  small  offence,  without  a  penny, 
but  with  rheumatism  in  all  his  bones,  and  with 
his  patriotism  destroyed,  thrust  into  the  street 
to  seek  a  new  and  precarious  means  of  living, 
after  spending  his  best  strength,  his  health,  and 
his  youth  in  the  sendee  of  his  country. 

On  the  summit  of  the  hill,  whence  he  could 
discern  the  barracks,  the  snow  glistening  on  its 
roof,  he  cast  a  last  look  at  the  spot  where  he 
had  spent  so  many  years.  He  raised  his  arms 
with  a  threatening  gesture,  and  a  curse  escaped 
his  lips. 

In  the  train  which  carried  him  off  there  were 
numerous  soldiers  of  his  regiment,  singing  and 
joking,  on  their  way  home  for  the  holidays. 

Christmas  Eve  had  come.  All  the  world  — 
thousands,  millions  —  were  happy.  They  felt 
the  charm  of  this  most  beautiful  Christian  fes- 
tival, —  a  day  which  moves  to  softness  the 
hardest  hearts.  But  Schmitz,  an  outcast,  felt 
nothing  but  bitterness  and  shame.  His  glance 
dwelt  on  the  lighted  windows  where  all  these 
124 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

happy  people  were  celebrating,  and  he  vowed 
vengeance. 

Friedrich  Rose  meanwhile  occupied  a  badly 
warmed  cell,  undergoing  a  fortnight's  confine- 
ment because  of  his  alleged  inattention  while  on 
duty  as  sentinel. 

Through  the  narrow  window  of  his  cell  he 
could  espy  the  quarters  occupied  by  the  third 
squadron,  a  couple  of  stories  higher,  in  the  same 
building ;  the  row  of  windows  was  shining  with 
the  brilliant  lights  of  a  gigantic  Christmas  tree, 
standing  in  the  centre  of  the  large  hall.  The 
sounds  of  a  pathetic  Christmas  hymn  were  float- 
ing down  to  him,  as  it  was  intoned  by  the  throats 
of  the  men.  Shivering  with  cold,  he  sat  on  the 
edge  of  his  hard  pallet,  and  a  tear  rolled  down 
his  cheek.  Again  his  thoughts  dwelt  with  his 
friends  at  home,  far  away,  and  wrath  filled  his 
soul. 

What  disillusionment  the  year  had  brought 
him  since  he  had  begun  his  term  as  volunteer! 
His  father,  once  sergeant-major  in  a  regiment  of 
Guard  Cuirassiers,  had  often  described  to  him 
a  soldier's  life  in  vivid  colors,  and  had  expressed 

125 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

his  hope  to  see,  some  day,  his  boy  himself  ad- 
vanced to  the  grade  of  sergeant. 

But  that  prospect  was  now  gone.  His  punish- 
ment brought  with  it  as  a  consequence  the  im- 
possibility of  ever  rising  from  the  ranks. 

His  one-time  zeal  for  his  calling  had  changed 
suddenly  to  a  violent  distaste  for  everything 
connected  with  the  service.  At  one  blow  the 
enthusiastic,  ambitious  recruit  had  turned  into 
one  of  the  many  soldiers  who  serve  in  the  army 
simply  because  they  are  compelled  to  do  so,  and 
who  are  longing  for  the  day  when  they  will  be 
able  to  doff  the  uniform  forever. 

And  why  all  this? 

Not  because  he  had  knowingly  neglected  his 
duty,  but  because  one  of  the  officers,  one  of  the 
men  whom  he  had  until  recently  looked  up  to 
as  demigods,  had  in  his  drunken  spleen  selected 
him  for  a  victim.  And  that  which  this  officer 
had  maintained  in  his  report  had  to  stand  as  an 
absolute  fact,  no  matter  how  untrue;  and  if  he 
or  anybody  else  should  express  doubts  of  its 
accuracy  it  would  mean  a  new  and  punishable 
offence. 

In  answer  to  the  questions  asked  by  the  chief 
126 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

of  his  squadron,  Rose  had  stated  the  occurrence 
quite  truthfully,  and  had  assured  him  solemnly 
of  his  innocence.  But  the  adjutant  had  replied 
to  this  that  the  man  wanted  to  exculpate  himself 
by  untrue  statements.  The  report  was,  there- 
fore, accepted  as  it  read. 

Was  it  to  be  expected  that  Miiller  would 
admit  his  own  wrong,  admit  that  he  had  in 
his  semi-drunkenness  misinterpreted  the  facts, 
and  that  he  had  been  in  an  unpleasant  frame  of 
mind  at  the  time?  Of  course  not.  That  would 
have  meant  charging  himself  with  an  offence. 
How  could  he,  the  infallible  regimental  adju- 
tant, own  up  to  an  error?  No,  he  was  never 
mistaken ;  and  what  difference  did  it  make,  any- 
way, if  this  raw  recruit  did  get  a  fortnight's 
term  in  the  "  cooler  "  ? 

What  difference? 

This  difference,  —  that  there  was  now  one 
more  of  those  who  proclaim  that  the  private 
soldier  in  the  German  army  is  a  man  forced 
into  a  yoke,  the  prey  of  every  whim  of  his 
superiors,  a  man  exposed  to  the  bad  humor  of 
those  above  him,  one  who  has  to  suffer,  without 
a  sign  of  resistance,  undeserved  harshness  and 
127 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

injustice.     Such  a  man  was  now  this  young 
recruit. 

And  what  further  harm  was  there  in  it? 

This,  —  that  everybody  in  the  future,  when 
Rose  should  be  asked  for  his  testimonials,  would 
shrug  his  shoulders,  thinking:  "  This  man  can- 
not be  trustworthy,  for  he  has  undergone  severe 
punishment  for  neglect  of  duty  as  a  sentinel, 
and  that  is  a  bad  sign ! " 

Towards  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  Rose 
was  aroused  from  his  sombre  reflections  by  a 
rattling  of  keys  at  his  door.  The  key  turned  in 
the  lock,  and  in  stepped  the  officer  on  duty, 
making  his  round,  behind  him  the  guard. 

Rose  jumped  up,  assumed  a  rigid  military 
posture,  and  reported  himself. 

"  Private  Rose,  sentenced  to  a  fortnight's 
confinement  for  neglect  of  duty  while  on 
guard!" 

The  officer  cast  a  searching  glance  into  the 
dark  cell,  trying  to  make  out  whether  he  could 
discover  a  forbidden  object  in  it  beside  the 
blanket  and  the  water-pitcher,  and  then  he  turned 
to  go.  But  Rose  hesitatingly  and  in  humble 
tones  said : 

128 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

"  Will  the  Herr  Lieutenant  permit  me  to 
make  a  respectful  request  ?  " 

"  Ask  the  guard  if  you  want  anything,"  an- 
swered the  officer  shortly,  and  then  descended 
the  stone  steps,  his  sword  clanking. 

The  corporal  on  guard  then  turned  and  went 
back  to  Rose's  cell. 

"  What  is  it  you  want  ?  "  he  asked,  with  a 
show  of  good-nature. 

"  I  should  like  to  know,  Herr  Corporal, 
whether  a  letter  from  home  has  arrived  for  me, 
and  whether  I  could  not  have  it !  "  answered 
Rose,  shyly. 

"  Well,  my  boy,"  laughed  the  corporal, 
"  strictly  speaking,  that  is  something  not  per- 
mitted —  first  serve  your  sentence,  then  you 
can  find  out." 

But  as  he  scanned  closely  the  features  of 
Rose,  who  was  of  his  own  squadron,  and  whom 
he  rather  liked,  —  noticing  the  melancholy  face, 
—  he  felt  pity  for  the  poor  fellow.  It  was  really 
a  hard  thing  to  spend  Christmas  in  jail  for  what 
probably  was  a  mere  oversight,  or  for  what, 
according  to  Rose  himself,  he  had  not  even 
committed.  Therefore  he  said  pleasantly: 

9  129 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

"  Well,  I  will  inquire." 

He  locked  the  door,  and  sent  a  man  to  Rose's 
quarters  with  a  request  to  the  corporal  there  to 
call  on  him.  When  the  man  came  over  he  asked 
him: 

"  Is  there  a  letter  for  Rose?  " 

"  A  letter  ?  No,  but  a  package  has  come  for 
him." 

"  Let  me  tell  you ! "  whispered  the  corporal. 
"  Open  the  box  and  bring  something  of  the  con- 
tents over  here.  I  feel  sorry  for  the  poor  devil." 

The  other  nodded  and  disappeared,  soon  to 
return  with  a  letter  that  he  had  found  inside 
the  package  together  with  some  dainty  eatables. 
The  corporal  took  it  all  and  brought  it  up  to 
Rose,  and  then  he  told  a  man  to  carry  up  a 
pail  of  coal  to  the  cell. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  sheet-iron  stove  was 
aglow,  and  sent  waves  of  warmth  into  the  cold 
cell.  Rose  stood  in  front  of  it,  and  by  the  flick- 
ering light  of  the  flames  he  slowly  perused  the 
letter  of  his  parents.  While  he  read  tears  were 
streaming  down  his  face.  Then  he  hid  away 
under  his  pillow  the  other  treasures, — a  sausage 
and  a  cake,  —  wrapped  himself  into  his  blanket 
130 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

and  lay  down  to  sleep.  In  his  dreams  Rose 
was  standing  beneath  the  Christmas  tree,  and 
around  him  were  his  dear  ones  at  home. 

The  twenty-eighth  of  December  was  a  day 
of  mourning  for  the  fourth  squadron. 

All  the  men,  including  those  who  had  just 
returned  from  leave,  gave  the  last  escort  to  a 
dead  comrade.  It  was  Dietrich,  the  good-ser- 
vice man,  who  was  carried  out  to  the  cemetery. 

He  had  always  been  of  a  weakly  constitu- 
tion; but  he  had  been  seized  by  a  violent  fever 
the  day  when  he  had  returned,  overheated,  and 
wet  to  the  bones  from  rain,  after  hard  drill  on 
the  parade  ground,  and  had  had  to  spend  the 
evening  and  the  night  in  a  cold  room,  because 
Roth  had  refused  to  furnish  coal.  Two  days 
later  the  surgeon  of  the  regiment  established 
the  fact  that  inflammatory  rheumatism  had 
supervened,  and  this  had  taken  so  bad  a  turn 
within  a  short  time  that  the  heart  had  become 
affected.  On  Christmas  Day  the  poor  fellow 
had  died. 

His  parents  had  been  summoned  by  tele- 
graph to  attend  the  funeral  of  their  only  son; 
but  sickness  in  the  family  and  other  circum- 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

stances  had  prevented  their  coming,  and  thus 
the  funeral  took  place  without  a  single  friend 
or  relative  being  present. 

The  day  afterward  the  fat  reserve  man,  the 
one  who  had  been  injured  by  "  Napoleon,"  left 
the  hospital.  His  injuries  seemed  healed;  but 
the  whole  face  was  horribly  disfigured  by  livid 
marks  left  from  the  sutures  of  the  surgeon's 
needle,  and  the  left  eye  had  been  removed  by 
an  operation,  since  it  had  been  feared  that  the 
other  eye  might  also  be  lost  unless  prompt  and 
radical  measures  were  taken. 

Maimed  and  crippled  for  life,  the  man  re- 
turned to  his  home,  discharged  from  the  army 
for  physical  inability.  A  monthly  pension  of 
nine  marks  had  been  "  generously  "  allowed  him 
by  the  government. 

Schmitz,  the  ex-sergeant,  on  New  Year's  Eve 
sat  in  a  scantily  furnished  room. 

To  earn  a  living,  even  if  but  a  very  poor  one, 
he  had  been  forced  to  take  work  as  a  common 
laborer  in  a  large  factory  of  the  neighboring 
city.  He  had  engaged  board  in  a  tenement 
house,  with  the  family  of  a  fellow-workman. 
132 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

There  he  sat  now,  his  head  buried  in  his 
hands.  On  a  plate  before  him  were  the  rem- 
nants of  a  frugal  supper,  and  a  small  lamp  with 
broken  chimney  threw  a  reddish  sheen  on  his 
immobile  figure.  Against  the  wall,  above  his 
bed,  were  hung  his  sabre  and  its  scabbard, 
crosswise.  On  a  small  wooden  stool  stood  a 
bowl,  in  which  he  had  performed  his  ablutions, 
and  a  soiled  towel  hung  from  it.  The  fire  in 
the  small  stove  had  long  ago  died  down,  and 
but  a  few  coals  were  still  glimmering  feebly. 

To  see  the  man  one  would  have  imagined  him 
asleep ;  but  Schmitz  was  very  much  awake,  and 
in  his  head  wild  thoughts  were  whirling.  He 
was  thinking  of  times  past  and  gone;  and  the 
more  his  present  circumstances  contrasted  with 
former  ones,  the  more  grimly  rose  his  hatred 
against  the  man  who  had  brought  him  to  his 
present  plight.  He  was  planning  his  revenge, 
ruminating  deeply  how  best  he  should  punish 
the  rascal,  and  how  to  brand  him  with  a  life- 
long reminder  of  his  infamous  deed. 

A  while  longer  he  thus  sat,  brooding  darkly; 
then  he  rose  with  clouded  face  and  stepped  to 
the  window.  He  breathed  against  the  pane 
133 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

covered  with  rime,  until  a  small  space  had  been 
formed  through  which  he  could  peer  out  into 
the  open.  He  saw  the  dial  opposite  on  the 
church  steeple,  from  which  the  bells  melodiously 
rang  out  in  full-toned  peals  the  closing  moments 
of  the  old  year,  and  proclaiming  the  advent  of 
a  new  one. 

Midnight.  Schmitz  seized  his  hat,  clapped 
it  on,  took  his  heavy  cane  into  the  right  hand, 
blew  out  the  lamp,  and  cautiously  descended  the 
dark  staircase.  On  the  ice-crusted  step  in  front 
of  the  housedoor  he  lingered  a  moment,  listen- 
ing to  the  vibrations  of  the  solemn  bells.  No 
other  sound  was  audible;  no  human  step  could 
be  heard  —  only  the  distant  rush  of  air  which, 
like  the  breath  of  a  gigantic  being,  told  of  the 
thronged  streets  of  a  busy  city. 

Schmitz  shiveringly  turned  up  his  coat  collar, 
sank  both  his  hands  into  his  pockets,  and  went 
briskly,  the  cane  under  his  arm,  to  the  railway 
station.  There  he  bought  a  ticket  for  his  former 
garrison,  but  a  few  minutes  away  by  rail,  and 
stepped  on  board  the  train  which  had  just 
rolled  in. 

Arrived  there,  he  found  the  small  town  buried 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

under  a  thick  blanket  of  snow.  From  the  bar- 
racks row  upon  row  of  lighted  windows  glim- 
mered like  stars  from  the  distance.  Every  little 
while  snatches  of  song  or  single  chords,  wafted 
towards  him  by  the  wind,  gave  sound  in  the 
night.  Far  away  the  ringing  of  church  bells 
could  be  heard,  coming  not  only  from  the 
steeples  of  the  town  itself,  but  from  the  villages 
and  hamlets  surrounding  it,  —  a  joyful  greet- 
ing to  the  new  year.  From  out  of  the  dram- 
shops and  restaurants  floated  the  sounds  of 
loud  talking,  laughter,  and  singing  of  merry 
people,  celebrating  in  hot  punch  the  gladsome 
hour. 

Schmitz  went  fleet-footed  towards  the  end 
of  the  town  where  the  barracks  were  situated. 
But  when  he  came  to  a  restaurant  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  the  spacious  building  he  made  a  halt. 
Cautiously  he  peered  into  the  gloom  around 
him,  to  make  sure  that  nobody  was  near,  and 
then  he  climbed  to  the  top  of  a  wall  and  looked 
intently  into  the  lighted  window  below. 

Sure  enough,  there  sat  Roth,  a  conspicuous 
figure  in  a  company  of  fellow-drinkers;  for  in 
this  place  he  habitually  spent  his  evening  hours, 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

frequently  far  into  the  night,  drinking  and 
playing  at  cards. 

Then  carefully  and  noiselessly  he  climbed 
down  and  strolled  on  in  the  direction  of  the 
barracks.  He  turned  into  a  rural  pathway,  lined 
on  both  sides  by  snow-capped  hedges,  and  then 
stopped  at  a  certain  spot.  He  knew  that  Roth 
would  pass  him  on  his  way  home. 

Schmitz  had  to  wait  a  long  while  in  the  nip- 
ping air,  but  his  blood  bounded  tumultuously 
through  his  veins;  for  his  revenge,  longed  for 
with  all  his  heart,  was  close  at  hand. 

The  keen-edged  wind  drove  particles  of  snow 
before  it  and  pricked  his  heated  face  like  needle- 
points. The  dead  leaves  of  a  tall  beech-tree 
rustled  over  him,  and  he  felt  like  a  victor. 
Patiently,  triumphantly,  he  waited. 

Down  below,  where  the  pathway  opened  into 
the  street,  he  now  and  then  saw  a  dark  shape  reel 
past  and  disappear  in  the  night  like  a  shadow,  the 
soft  snow  deadening  the  footfall.  These  were 
jolly  roysterers,  returning  from  their  carousal. 

From  the  steeple,  some  distance  away,  came 
the  metallic  voice  of  a  bell  striking  the  first  hour 
of  the  new  year,  and  Schmitz  reckoned  on  the 
136 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT   SCHMITZ 

probability  that  his  foe  would  soon  wend  his 
way  homeward. 

But  in  this  he  deceived  himself,  for  it  was 
close  unto  two  o'clock  when  the  "  Vice  "  at  last 
turned  into  the  lane.  Schmitz  could  not  be  mis- 
taken. His  sharp  eyes,  by  this  time  habituated 
to  the  dark,  clearly  made  out  the  burly  figure. 
He  grasped  his  cane  firmly  in  his  hand,  and  his 
heart  hammered  in  his  bosom.  Nearer  and 
nearer  Roth  approached,  now  but  a  few  steps 
away,  his  face  almost  completely  hidden  in  the 
upturned  collar  of  his  cloak;  but  Schmitz  saw 
the  cruel,  hard  eyes,  now  dull  and  fishy  from 
excessive  indulgence  in  New  Year's  punch. 
Roth  was  in  a  good  humor,  however,  whistling 
to  himself  and  dragging  his  sabre  at  his  feet, 
walking  with  unsteady  gait. 

At  this  moment  Schmitz  stepped  out  from 
beside  the  hedge,  and,  his  cane  on  his  shoulder, 
he  planted  himself  before  the  other. 

Roth  was  startled,  and  looked  keenly  at  the 
man  who  stopped  his  progress.  He  did  not 
recognize  him. 

"What  is  it  you  want?"  He  mumbled 
thickly. 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

"  To  settle  accounts  with  you,"  was  the  brief 
answer.  At  the  sound  of  the  voice  Roth  visibly 
paled.  For  a  moment  the  two  stared  at  each 
other. 

"  Oh,  I  see,  it  is  you,  old  fellow.  And  what 
do  you  want  of  me  ?  " 

"This  is  what  I  want!"  shouted  Schmitz, 
and  with  terrific  force  his  cane  came  down  on 
Roth's  head.  A  second  blow  followed,  almost 
as  hard,  which  hit  him  on  the  cheek,  so  that  the 
blood  rushed  out  of  the  wound.  The  "  Vice," 
taken  unawares,  made  no  motion  to  defend  him- 
self while  Schmitz  rained  a  shower  of  strokes 
on  his  body.  Then  at  last  Roth,  wide  awake 
now,  felt  for  his  sabre,  partly  drawing  it  from 
its  scabbard;  but  Schmitz  gave  him  no  chance 
to  use  it.  Like  a  famished  wolf  he  seized  his 
enemy  by  the  throat,  throttling  him,  and,  drop- 
ping his  cane,  with  his  clenched  fist  he  dealt 
him  several  fearful  blows  on  forehead  and 
mouth,  winding  up  with  a  tattoo  that  sounded 
like  the  beating  of  a  drum  on  the  man's  skull. 
A  violent  push  made  Roth  stumble  and  fall  to 
his  knees. 

"  So,  now,  you  miserable  cur,  I  have  paid  my 
138 


CASE  OF  SERGEANT    SCHMITZ 

debt  to  you !  "  and  saying  which,  he  kicked  his 
fallen  foe.  Then  he  turned  on  his  heels  and 
said,  as  a  parting  shot : 

"  Now  go  and  report  me  again,  you  swine ; 
but  if  you  do  I  shall  have  another  reckoning  with 
you,  and  tell  about  some  of  your  thieving!  " 

The  former  "  foddermaster  "  felt  that  he  had 
meted  out  justice,  and  he  was  fully  prepared 
to  take  the  consequences,  no  matter  what  they 
might  be.  Revenge  is  a  sweet  morsel. 

Roth  had  to  spend  several  weeks  in  the  hos- 
pital, until  he  had  recovered  from  his  injuries. 
It  was  the  hardest  drubbing  he  had  ever  received 
in  his  life.  Vanity  forbade  him  to  give  a  true 
version  of  the  assault.  He  reported  that  he 
had  been  attacked  by  several  drunken  laborers, 
and  claimed  to  have  used  his  sabre  with  effect 
on  one  of  them;  but  nobody  believed  his  tale, 
for  no  wounded  laborer  was  heard  of  in  the 
little  town,  and  physicians  there  and  in  the 
vicinity  were  equally  ignorant  of  such  a  case. 
It  was,  therefore,  generally  assumed  that  Roth 
had  met  with  his  deserts  at  the  hands  of  the 
ex-sergeant,  and  nobody  pitied  him. 


CHAPTER  V 

OFFICERS   AT   A   MASQUERADE 

DURING  the  last  days  of  January  the 
Casino  was  in  an  uproar.  A  number  of 
mechanics,  painters,  and  florists  were  busy 
transforming  the  rooms  and  corridors,  even  the 
veranda,  with  its  adjoining  conservatory,  into 
a  suite  of  daintily  decorated  festal  halls.  Nu- 
merous booths  and  tents  were  being  erected,  and 
all  other  preparations  were  made  worthily  to 
receive  Prince  Carnival,  whose  coming  was  timed 
for  the  first  week  in  February. 

Hundreds  of  potted  plants  and  orange  and 
laurel  trees  from  the  conservatory  gave  a  gay 
and  summer-like  appearance  to  the  ballroom. 
Placards  painted  and  inscribed  in  suitable  man- 
ner hung  from  the  walls.  In  the  booths  and 
tents  the  usual  array  of  eatables  and  "  wet 
goods  "  of  every  description  could  be  seen,  to 
be  sold  by  pretty  womenfolk.  One  stage  had 
140 


OFFICERS   AT   A   MASQUERADE 

been  fitted  up  for  variety  performances,  while 
on  another  a  circus  was  to  be  seen,  in  which  a 
number  of  private  soldiers,  disguised  as  wild 
beasts,  were  to  play  leading  parts  under  the 
eyes  and  whip  of  the  trainer  —  none  other  than 
Captain  Kahle.  These  men  had  been  drilled  for 
the  purpose  throughout  the  whole  month. 

There  was  also  a  stretch  of  natural  green- 
sward, laid  down  by  the'  Casino  gardener.  This 
was  to  produce  the  illusion  of  a  small  park. 
Benches  placed  on  it  invited  the  guests  to  rest 
and  to  enjoy  the  music  of  a  band  upon  a  suitable 
stand,  while  Pilsen  beer  was  to  be  handed  to 
the  audience  by  waiters.  In  an  adjoining  room 
mock  marriages  were  to  be  performed,  the  fee 
to  the  officiating  justice  of  the  peace  to  consist 
in  the  purchase  of  a  bottle  of  champagne.  And, 
to  complete  the  scene,  arrangements  had  also 
been  made  to  obtain  a  quick  decree  of  divorce 
(by  the  same  official)  for  all  those  couples  who 
deemed  themselves  mismated  after  a  short  ex- 
perience of  an  hour  or  so. 

The  large  dining-room  represented  picnic 
grounds.  On  a  platform  wreathed  in  green 
there  was  room  for  an  orchestra,  and  the  trum- 
141 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

peters  of  the  regiment  had  been  ransacking  the 
whole  town  for  weeks  in  order  to  find  ragged 
costumes  and  discarded  garments  of  every  kind, 
clad  in  which  they  were  to  represent  village 
musicians. 

Even  photographers  were  there,  to  ply  their 
trade  in  several  tents,  the  outside  of  which 
showed  a  collection  of  ludicrous  portraits  and 
prints  of  various  kinds.  The  purpose  of  this 
stratagem  was,  of  course,  to  attract  customers. 

Naturally  all  these  festivities,  planned  for 
weeks,  formed  the  main  topic  of  conversation 
with  the  members  of  the  club,  and  the  whole 
garrison  was  for  the  time  being  turned  topsy- 
turvy. Every  one  intended  to  appear  in  as 
original  and  amusing  a  guise  as  possible,  and 
there  was  much  mutual  consulting  and  guessing 
as  to  which  particular  role  was  to  be  assumed 
by  each  person. 

Thus  the  opening  night  of  the  fete  drew  near. 
During  the  afternoon  a  crowd  of  hairdressers 
moved  into  the  Casino,  to  assist  members  of 
the  club  in  getting  themselves  up  properly.  The 
regimental  tailor,  with  his  aides,  went  from  one 
officer's  house  to  another,  making  alterations  or 
142 


OFFICERS   AT   A   MASQUERADE 

needed  repairs  on  the  uniforms  and  costumes  to 
be  donned. 

At  seven  in  the  evening  the  orderlies,  in  the 
black  garments  of  waiters,  were  expecting  the 
guests  and  members,  and  half  an  hour  later  these 
began  to  arrive  in  crowds. 

It  was  a  multi-colored,  vivid  picture,  as  all 
these  persons,  many  of  them  good-looking  and 
picturesquely  attired,  in  all  sorts  of  disguises, 
began  to  move  in  the  brilliantly  lighted  halls, 
while  the  several  bands,  placed  at  coigns  of 
vantage,  struck  up  lively  and  inspiring  airs. 
Dancing  began  at  once,  and  champagne  flowed 
in  streams.  At  a  garden  table  under  an  orange 
tree  one  could  see  a  powerfully  limbed  peasant, 
his  hawthorn  stick  between  his  knees,  devouring 
a  plateful  of  caviare,  while  his  neighbor,  a  circus 
clown,  was  dissecting  a  lobster. 

The  most  ludicrous  figure,  however,  was 
Colonel  von  Kronau  in  his  Polish  farmer's  cos- 
tume, wearing  a  fur  cap  on  his  head,  and  a 
tippet  around  his  neck.  If  he  had  appeared  in 
this  disguise  at  the  hog  market  in  a  Pomeranian 
town,  every  purchaser  would  have  supposed  him 
to  be  the  "  genuine  article,"  namely,  a  breeder 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

of  porkers.  And  it  was  quite  evident  that  he  did 
not  have  to  take  much  pains  correctly  to  imitate 
the  manners  and  gestures  of  the  person  he 
represented. 

The  champagne  was  paid  for  out  of  a  common 
fund  specially  raised  by  all  the  members  of  the 
Casino.  It  was,  therefore,  not  astonishing  that 
the  Herr  Colonel  was,  after  the  lapse  of  one 
brief  hour,  deep  in  his  cups. 

His  adjutant  had  not  done  well  to  disguise 
himself  as  a  Polish  Jew,  for  in  that  way  he 
looked  indeed  too  much  his  part. 

Frau  Konig  was  charming  as  a  chambermaid, 
and  her  blue  eyes  radiated  the  pleasure  she  felt. 
As  a  young  gamekeeper,  Lieutenant  Bleibtreu 
paid  assiduous  court  to  the  aforementioned 
chambermaid.  He  had  already  proposed  to  her 
to  visit  the  "  marriage  booth  "  in  the  adjoining 
room,  and  the  justice  of  the  peace  was  getting 
ready  his  paraphernalia.  Only  late  at  night, 
when  the  captain,  her  every-day  husband,  car- 
ried her  home,  did  the  pretty  maid  relinquish 
her  newer  claims  upon  the  gamekeeper. 

Frau  Leimann  presented  herself  as  a  peasant 
girl  from  the  "  Vierlande,"  —  a  district  near 
144 


OFFICERS   AT   A   MASQUERADE 

Hamburg,  —  and  her  costume  looked  indeed 
very  picturesque,  and  became  her  well.  Borgert 
noticed  this  fact  with  great  pleasure,  and  the 
dainty  figure  and  small  nimble  feet  made  a 
strong  impression  on  his  susceptible  heart. 

Frau  Kahle,  as  a  flower  girl,  was  flirting  des- 
perately with  the  younger  men.  She  also  played 
her  part  very  well,  for  the  champagne  in  which 
she  had  liberally  indulged  began  to  exert  its 
effects.  Lieutenant  Kolberg,  as  a  modish 
dandy,  had  already  purchased  nearly  her  entire 
supply  of  flowers,  and  when,  soon  after,  the 
remnant  had  gone,  he  claimed  and  obtained  her 
as  his  partner  for  the  dance. 

Frau  Captain  Stark  alone  did  not  seem  to  be- 
long in  this  milieu.  The  choice  of  a  costume,  to 
begin  with,  had  occasioned  her  deep  and  anxious 
thought.  She  felt  that  to  follow  her  inclinations 
and  appear  at  the  masquerade  in  either  the  guise 
of  a  ballet  dancer  or  of  a  flower  girl  would  too 
markedly  invite  criticism.  Her  fifty  years  and 
her  towering  shape  would  really  have  made  her 
too  conspicuous  in  such  parts.  On  the  other 
hand,  to  show  herself  as  a  peddler  woman  or 
fishwife  would  have,  so  she  feared,  made  her 
10  M5 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

look  "  too  natural."  Having,  therefore,  dis- 
carded these  notions,  her  fancy  roved  in  the 
realms  of  the  beautiful  and  fantastic,  until  it 
settled  down  upon  a  costume  which,  bespangled 
and  with  its  garland  of  rushes,  she  declared  to 
be  that  of  a  "  mermaid  of  middle  age."  Nobody 
was  in  a  condition  to  contradict  her,  inas- 
much as  nobody  recollected  ever  having  seen  a 
"  middle-aged  "  mermaid  before.  She  floated, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  in  a  cloud  of  pink  and  sea- 
green  laces.  The  capacious  bosom  this  cloud 
concealed  from  view  rolled  and  heaved  quite 
realistically,  thus  producing  the  effect  of  ocean 
waves,  and  her  enormous  arms  were  awe- 
inspiring  enough  to  keep  away  all  evening  those 
in  the  crowd  who  had  not  got  their  sea-legs, 
—  and  that  meant  practically  all  the  younger 
officers.  At  all  other  times  her  most  dutiful 
slaves,  these  young  men  seemed  to  have  con- 
spired to  leave  the  dreaded  chief  of  the  regi- 
ment's nominal  chief  severely  alone.  Of  course 
she  felt  this  as  an  unpardonable  offence,  and  this 
all  the  more  as  the  colonel  at  an  early  hour  was 
in  an  irresponsible  condition,  and  hence  listened 
to  her  violent  plaint  with  stolid  equanimity. 
146 


OFFICERS  AT  A   MASQUERADE 

There  was  a  male  trio,  too,  that  claimed  some 
attention.  They  represented  to  the  life  merry, 
devil-may-care  vagabonds,  and  so  well  did  they 
act  their  parts  that  one  would  have  supposed 
they  had  just  been  picked  up  on  the  miry  high- 
way outside.  They  deemed  it,  of  course,  strictly 
within  their  privileges  to  get  drunk  with  all  due 
speed,  —  an  endeavor  in  which  they  admirably 
succeeded.  From  that  hour  on  they  became  an 
unmitigated  nuisance,  not  even  atoned  for  by 
some  humor  or  merry  pranks.  After  midnight 
they  were  always  seen  in  a  bunch,  steadying 
each  other  as  they  lurched  along. 

Lieutenant  von  Meckelburg,  during  the 
earlier  part  of  the  evening,  stuck  resolutely  and 
almost  silently  to  his  assigned  duty,  it  being 
that  of  an  organ-grinder.  He  had  picked  up 
somewhere  a  villainous  specimen  of  this  instru- 
ment of  torture,  and  with  it  had  retired  into  a 
corner,  wearing  the  ragged  and  faded  clothes 
of  an  impecunious  veteran  of  the  wars,  with  his 
visorless,  crumpled  cap  pulled  over  his  eyes,  and 
with  a  face  which  for  unadulterated  melancholy 
could  not  be  duplicated.  Hardly  any  one  took 
notice  of  him,  and  his  physiognomy  grew  sadder 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

and  sadder.  At  last,  however,  he  left  his  organ 
in  its  corner,  and  visited  the  various  bars  where 
champagne  could  be  had.  With  each  generous 
libation  his  features  cleared,  and  finally  he  got 
himself  into  a  decidedly  hilarious  condition, 
and  not  only  moved  with  his  organ  into  the 
centre  of  the  greensward,  where  he  placed  it 
on  one  of  the  benches,  but  accompanied  its 
shrill  and  squeaking  notes  with  a  mellow 
basso  of  his  own. 

The  bands  meanwhile  played  their  best  and 
merriest,  and  as  several  casks  of  beer  and  some 
dozen  bottles  of  cheap  spirits  had  been  pro- 
vided for  them,  the  members,  both  trumpeters  of 
the  regiment  and  civilian  musicians  hired  for  the 
night,  devoted  no  inconsiderable  portion  of  the 
intervals  between  their  playing  to  frequent  and 
prolonged  visits  to  that  small  side-room  where 
these  drinkables  had  been  placed  ready  for  use. 
After  a  while  they  dispensed  even  with  such 
formalities.  They  rolled  the  remaining  casks 
up  the  steps  of  their  podium,  and  shortly  the 
faucet  could  be  espied  from  among  the  greenery, 
and  the  musicians  hovering  about  it.  As  a 
matter  of  course,  their  playing  soon  showed  the 
148 


OFFICERS  AT  A   MASQUERADE 

effects  of  all  this  tippling.  One  man  particu- 
larly, one  of  the  flageolets,  became  quite  unman- 
ageable, —  or  rather  the  instrument  on  which  he 
was  performing,  —  so  that  it  usually  was  the 
space  of  a  second  or  two  ahead  of  the  others. 
This  weird  music  only  ended  with  the  removal 
of  flageolet  and  man  from  the  scene. 

At  eleven  began  the  festal  performance  on 
the  small  stage  constructed  for  the  purpose. 

One  of  the  lieutenants  led  off  with  two  topi- 
cal songs  rather  too  outspoken  in  the  lessons 
they  tried  to  convey.  He  was  disguised  as  a 
prima  ballerina  for  the  purpose,  and  as  a  windup 
he  danced,  with  great  skill  and  abandon,  a  can- 
can. The  ladies  tittered  and  the  men  guffawed. 
After  more  of  the  same  kind  there  was  enacted 
a  parody  on  Shakespeare's  "  Hamlet."  The 
gentleman  responsible  for  this  version  had  em- 
ployed radical  means  to  clear  the  stage  of  all 
the  dramatis  persona,  at  the  end.  Murder,  sui- 
cide, poison,  dagger,  lightning  even  decimated 
their  ranks,  and  when  the  curtain  dropped  there 
was  not  a  soul  of  them  left  alive.  The  crowning 
effect  of  this  parody  was  the  appearance  of  the 
prompter  himself  before  the  footlights.  In  a 
149 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

few  tear-choked  words  he  informed  the  audience 
that  after  seeing  the  actors  all  die,  and  nothing 
but  corpses  around  him,  he  could  and  would  not 
survive,  and  so  he  made  an  end  of  himself,  too, 
using  a  rope  for  the  purpose. 

The  humor  of  the  whole  audience  after  that 
grew  rapidly  boisterous,  and  by  midnight  the 
tone  of  this  carnival  fete  given  by  officers  and 
their  ladies  could  scarcely  be  distinguished  from 
that  rampant  at  a  village  kermess.  If  anything, 
it  was  a  trifle  more  unconventional. 

Lieutenant  Kolberg  had  in  the  meantime 
found  a  cosy  arbor  into  which  to  retire  with 
Frau  Captain  Kahle,  and  more  effectually  to 
exclude  intruders  had  placed  a  tall  screen  be- 
fore the  entrance. 

A  little  "  flirtation,"  more  or  less  serious,  was 
something  he  could  not  do  without,  and  since 
the  garrison  with  its  staid  citizens  and  their 
staider  wives  and  daughters  did  not  furnish  the 
material  required  for  him,  he  had  made  up  his 
mind  to  lay  violent  siege  to  the  heart  of  the 
lady.  He  knew  that  it  was  a  susceptible  one, 
and  from  Pommer  he  had  heard,  in  hours  of 
bibulous  intercourse,  that  siege  in  her  case 
150 


OFFICERS   AT   A  MASQUERADE 

meant  speedy  surrender.  He  had  already  pro- 
gressed with  her  beyond  mere  preliminary  skir- 
mishes, and  in  their  conversations  with  nobody 
near  they  had  begun  to  use  the  intimate  "  thou," 
and  to  call  each  other  by  their  given  names. 

For  his  purpose,  then,  no  better  time  could 
have  been  found  than  this  very  festivity,  with 
all  the  allurements  which  champagne,  music,  the 
dance,  and  the  hurly-burly  of  a  huge  crowd 
afforded.  Shielded  against  indiscreet  spies  by 
the  interlacing  vines  creeping  all  over  this  arbor, 
his  love-making  had  proceeded  at  such  a  rapid 
pace  that  within  an  hour  the  little  woman  did 
not  thrust  her  gallant  wooer  aside  when  he 
dared  imprint  a  kiss  on  her  swelling  lips. 

In  another  arbor,  more  in  proximity  to  the 
champagne  bar,  First  Lieutenant  Leimann  sat 
in  lonely  misery  and  shed  rivulets  of  tears.  His 
intoxication,  in  its  more  advanced  stage,  always 
took  that  form  known  technically  as  "  howling 
desolation."  On  this  occasion  it  had  seized  him 
promptly  after  the  ninth  glassful. 

His  condition  was  in  ludicrous  contrast  with 
the  magnificence  and  dash  of  his  attire,  for 
he  was  dressed,  regardless  of  expense,  as  a 


A  LITTLE   GARRISON 

Hungarian  magnate  of  the  first  water,  and  he 
rejected  with  sombre  scorn  all  attempts  made 
by  friends  to  commiserate  him.  His  nearer  ac- 
quaintances knew  for  a  certainty  that  he  would 
thus  remain  seated  on  top  of  an  empty  wine 
cask  until  the  very  close  of  the  ball.  For  when- 
ever the  black  devils  of  drink  cast  their  spell 
over  him  in  this  fashion  it  required  from  four 
to  six  hours  to  emerge  into  a  saner  and  some- 
what soberer  frame  of  mind.  Just  now  his  sobs 
shook  his  whole  bony  body.  The  divers  or- 
derlies who  passed  him  held  their  sides  with 
laughter,  but  he  heeded  them  not. 

His  wife  found  the  situation  very  annoying, 
and  she  therefore  resolved  to  get  one  of  her 
sudden  attacks  of  headache.  She  retired,  with 
signs  of  disgust  on  her  pretty  face,  to  another 
corner,  and  when  Borgert  joined  her  soon  after- 
ward, she  requested  him  in  mellifluous  tones  to 
escort  her  home. 

As  they  reached  the  door  of  the  house  in 
which  she  with  her  husband  occupied  the  upper 
part,  while  Borgert  had  his  smaller  lodgings 
on  the  ground  floor,  she  sighed  with  some  sat- 
isfaction and  said  in  a  low  voice: 

152 


OFFICERS  AT  A  MASQUERADE 

"  The  air  has  done  me  good ;  I  feel  much 
better  now." 

"  Then  may  I  take  you  back  to  the  Casino?  " 
was  Borgert's  answer,  and  the  tone  of  his  voice 
was  full  of  disappointment. 

"  No,  no,  we  will  go  up  and  have  a  cup  of 
coffee;  that  will  do  us  good,  and  I  really  do 
not  feel  like  returning  to  that  crowd  of  drunken 
people ;  it  is  simply  disgusting !  " 

"  Just  as  it  pleases  you,  my  most  gracious 
lady!" 

With  that  he  inserted  the  key  into  the  lock, 
opened  the  door,  and  both  of  them  silently  scaled 
the  rather  steep  stairs,  dark  as  Erebus. 

When  they  had  reached  her  cosy  parlor,  Bor- 
gert  brought  the  lamp  and  lit  it.  He  knew 
exactly  the  spot  where  he  would  find  it  in  the 
dark,  for  his  acquaintance  with  every  nook  of 
the  apartments  had  come  in  the  course  of  time 
with  their  mutual  intimacy.  Then  he  took  up 
a  newspaper  and  sat  down  in  the  sofa  corner. 

Frau  Leimann  had  disappeared  in  the  ad- 
joining room;  but  it  took  her  only  a  very  few 
minutes  to  return,  bearing  in  her  hands  the 
Vienna  coffee  machine,  and  presenting,  now 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

that  she  had  resumed  a  comfortable  and  co- 
quettish kimono  in  lieu  of  her  masquerade  cos- 
tume, a  most  seductive  picture. 

"  So,"  said  she,  letting  the  heavy  window 
curtains  down,  "  now  at  last  we  are  again  where 
we  can  have  a  comfortable,  undisturbed  chat 
together." 

The  first  rosy  dawn  showed  on  the  horizon  as 
a  heavy,  lurching  step  was  heard  on  the  stone 
stairs  outside.  Frau  Leimann  blew  out  the 
lamp,  and  then  resumed  her  seat  on  the  sofa, 
leaning  her  head  against  the  soft  cushions. 

Meanwhile  Leimann  had  noisily  opened  the 
door  leading  into  the  corridor,  and  now  stepped 
into  the  room  where  his  wife  was  waiting. 

For  a  moment  he  halted  at  the  door.  He 
thought  he  discovered  the  scent  of  cigarette 
smoke.  Then  he  felt  his  way  towards  the  table, 
found  a  box  of  matches,  and  lighted  a  candle. 
Then  he  saw  his  wife  recumbent  on  the  sofa. 

The  sight  touched  him.  Had  this  faithful 
soul  awaited  his  coming  so  long,  in  order  to 
offer  him  a  cup  of  coffee?  Doubtless  sleep  had 
overtaken  her,  and  she  had  not  heard  his  step. 


OFFICERS  AT   A  MASQUERADE 

So  he  cautiously  approached  her  and  imprinted 
a  kiss  on  her  forehead. 

A  nervous  cry  escaped  her,  and  she  quickly 
rose. 

"  Oh,  it  is  you,  Franz.  Where  did  you  stay 
so  long?  " 

"  Do  not  be  angry  with  me,  my  angel,  that 
I  kept  you  awake  so  long;  but  I  really  never 
dreamed  that  you  would  do  this.  Why  did  you 
not  retire  long  ago?" 

The  words  sounded  so  full  of  affection,  — 
almost  like  an  excuse,  like  a  prayer  for  for- 
giveness, —  but  they  did  not  touch  her ;  she 
simply  yawned  with  some  affectation,  and 
stretched  her  arms  as  if  dying  for  a  sound 
sleep. 

"  Why,  you  know,  Franz,  that  I  had  to  wait 
for  you;  you  were  again  in  a  fearful  condition. 
When  I  saw  you  sitting  in  that  way  I  felt  so 
miserable  that  I  could  bear  it  no  longer,  and 
went  home." 

"  Alone,  —  so  late  at  night  ?  Why  did  you 
not  have  one  of  the  orderlies  escort  you?  " 

"  Borgert  took  me  as  far  as  the  door ;  he 
offered  to  be  my  escort." 


A  LITTLE   GARRISON 

"  Well,  I  '11  have  to  thank  him  for  that  to- 
morrow, and,  come  to  think  of  it,  he  is  always 
very  attentive  to  you.  Where  did  he  go  after- 
wards ;  I  never  set  eyes  on  him  again  the  whole 
night." 

"  He  complained  of  a  headache,  and  seemed 
to  have  had  enough  of  the  whole  show.  I  sup- 
pose he  went  to  bed  long  ago." 

"  Why  did  n't  you  offer  him  a  cup  of  coffee  ?  " 

"  But,  Franz,  what  would  the  servants  think 
if  they  heard  me  coming  home  with  a  gentleman 
so  late  at  night?  That  would  never  do.  Our 
maid,  Marie,  anyway,  is  listening  and  spying 
continually,  and  one  has  to  take  care  not  to  let 
her  hear  things.  I  presume  she  has  been  telling 
tales  out  of  school  as  it  is." 

"  Send  her  away  then,  if  you  have  no  con- 
fidence in  her." 

"  I  would  have  done  it  long  ago,  but  I  can't 
let  her  go  until  we  have  paid  her  wages.  We  're 
several  months  behind  with  her." 

"  Then  pay  her  to-morrow." 

"  What  with  ?     Have  you  any  money  ?  " 

"  I  ?  What  an  idea.  You  know  perfectly 
well  that  the  few  marks  of  my  pay  could  never 
156 


OFFICERS  AT  A   MASQUERADE 

keep   this   household    running.      Has  n't   your 
mother  sent  the  allowance  this  month?" 
"  No,  she  has  n't  anything  to  spare  this  time." 
"  Oh,  of  course,  —  the  old  story." 
"  Is  that  meant  for  reproach  ?     You  knew 
yourself  that  we  were  not  rich.     Do  me  the 
favor,  therefore,  to  spare  me  your  hints  and 
complaints.     I  find  them  tactless  and  inappro- 
priate at  this  late  time." 

"  Yes,  you  never  want  to  hear  about  that. 
You  ought  to  have  known  before  you  married 
me  that  to  keep  house  without  money  is  a  beastly 
nuisance.  Now  we  have  this  ceaseless  dunning 
every  day :  one  day  it 's  the  butcher,  the  next 
the  baker,  and  the  day  after  the  laundress,  — 
and  they  all  want  money.  I  can't  cut  it  out  of 
my  hide." 

"  But  was  n't  it  yourself  who  kept  on  urging 
and  urging  me  until  I  promised  to  marry  you? 
Did  n't  you  gainsay  all  my  objections  and  insist 
on  our  marriage?  " 

"  True  enough ;  but  you  and  your  mother 
ought  to  have  known  better.  You  never  ought 
to  have  consented,  even  if  I  was  fool  enough  to 
insist  on  it.  Your  mother  knew  how  much  it 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

costs  to  keep  house,  and  I  did  n't.  And  now  it 
is  too  late." 

"  That  I  know  myself,  and  you  need  n't  drive 
me  crazy  by  constantly  nagging  at  me.  And 
it  isn't  my  fault,  either;  for  if  everything  had 
turned  out  the  way  my  mother  desired,  you 
would  not  have  had  to  complain  to-day  that 
you  are  married  to  a  woman  without  money. 
You  were  not  the  only  one  from  whom  I  had 
proposals." 

"  That  you  ought  to  have  told  me  then,"  re- 
plied her  husband,  with  an  ugly  sneer.  "  I  'm 
awfully  sorry  if  I  have  interfered  with  your  fine 
prospects." 

"  You  are  more  vulgar,  Franz,  than  I 
thought  you." 

"  Oh,  yes,  women  can  never  bear  the  truth. 
If  one  does  n't  flatter  you  the  whole  time  and 
play  on  the  tuneful  lyre  of  love,  you  at  once 
begin  to  find  fault." 

"  Well,  I  have  n't  been  surfeited  with  terms 
of  affection  by  you." 

"  That  is  merely  because  I  don't  know  how 
you  have  deserved  them  of  me.  Is  it  perhaps 
because  I  don't  know  how  to  pay  my  shoemaker, 
158 


OFFICERS  AT   A  MASQUERADE 

or  how  to  meet  a  whole  bunch  of  bills  that  have 
come  in  the  last  fortnight?  Oh,  what  a  fool 
I  have  been !  Instead  of  leading  this  dog's  life 
with  you,  I  might  to-day  attend  the  Academy  of 
War  and  lead  a  decent  existence." 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  you  vulgar  brute ;  you 
have  no  right  to  insult  me !  Leave  my  room,  or 
I  shall  leave  the  house !  " 

"  Instantly,  and  with  the  greatest  pleasure, 
my  gracious  lady!  Pleasant  dreams  to  you!  " 

So  saying,  Leimann  violently  slammed  the 
door  behind  him  so  that  the  windows  shook, 
and  then  went  to  his  own  bedroom. 

But  his  wife  buried  her  face  in  the  sofa 
cushions  and  sobbingly  sought  relief  in  tears. 
That  gave  a  vent  to  her  feelings  of  hatred  and 
rage  against  her  heartless  husband.  Her  whole 
soul  rebelled  against  this  brutal  man  whom  she 
had  married  because  he  had  sworn  on  his  knees 
to  her  that  he  could  not  live  without  her.  And 
now  he  roughly  stamped  into  the  ground  the 
affection  which  she  once  had  borne  him.  He 
desecrated  all  those  recollections  which  are  so 
dear  to  a  woman's  heart,  and  which  at  critical 
points  in  her  life  are  meant  to  be  a  stay  and  a 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

comfort,  and  to  make  the  burden  of  misfortune 
lighter  to  her. 

And  if,  a  short  time  before,  when  she  had 
hastily  parted  from  Borgert,  she  had  felt  some- 
thing like  remorse,  —  something  of  shame  in 
having  abused  the  confidence  placed  in  her  by 
her  husband,  —  she  now  regarded  herself  as 
a  victim,  and  her  fault  only  in  the  light  of  a 
just  revenge  for  his  heartless  conduct. 

For  at  no  time  is  the  heart  of  woman  more 
susceptible  to  temptation  than  at  the  moment 
when  she  feels  herself  betrayed  and  outraged  in 
her  best  feelings. 


160 


CHAPTER  VI 

A   SENSATIONAL   EVENT   STIRS   THE 
GARRISON 

IT  was  plain  daylight  when  the  last  guests 
left  the  Casino.  Without  exception,  liberal 
indulgence  in  champagne  and  brandy  had  done 
its  work,  and  the  motley  crowd  that  left  the 
building  thus  "  early  "  was  in  a  decidedly  bois- 
terous mood,  and  the  limits  of  decency  and  good 
manners  had  been  passed  by  them  hours  before. 
The  nearby  church  bell  struck  the  hour  of 
seven  as  Captain  Stark  and  his  wife,  as  well 
as  the  colonel  and  his  better  half,  climbed  into 
the  capacious  vehicle  that  had  been  waiting  for 
them  at  the  door  of  the  club-house  for  several 
hours.  The  horses  had  become  stiff  in  the 
joints,  and,  with  a  cold  and  raw  blustering  wind 
to  chill  them,  they  were  now  forced  to  pull  their 
heavy  load  on  the  miry  highway  leading  toward 
town.  The  coachman  had  to  use  his  whip  freely 
to  make  the  poor  beasts  break  into  a  sorry  trot; 
ii  161 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

but  at  last  the  human  load  had  been  deposited 
before  their  doors. 

Lieutenant  von  Meckelburg  and  First  Lieu- 
tenant Specht  could  scarcely  keep  on  their  legs ; 
but,  nevertheless,  they  walked  straight  from  the 
Casino  to  the  barracks,  where  they  were  to  give, 
each  of  them,  an  hour's  instruction  to  the  re- 
cruits. They  quickly  doffed  their  fantastic  gear 
—  the  organ  had  been  left  behind  by  the  lieu- 
tenant; but  when  they  appeared  before  their 
pupils  the  latter  could  scarcely  suppress  a  shout 
of  laughter.  For  Specht  had  in  his  hurry  for- 
gotten to  remove  his  artificial  moustache,  and 
this  gave  him  such  an  unusual  appearance  that  it 
was  only  when  his  voice,  somewhat  shaken  by 
alcoholic  excesses,  met  the  soldiers'  ears  that 
they  felt  sure  whom  they  had  before  them. 
The  "  instruction  "  he  thus  imparted  was  cer- 
tainly very  far  from  enlightening  their  minds 
on  the  duties  falling  to  the  share  of  a  defender 
of  the  fatherland. 

Most  of  the  other  officers  preferred,  however, 

a  good  long  sleep,  and  simply  ignored  the  work 

of  the  day.    It  was  only  towards  noon  when  the 

first  captain  showed  his  face  at  the  barracks. 

162 


A  SENSATIONAL  EVENT 

Captain  Konig  and  his  faithful  Lieutenant 
Bleibtreu  were,  in  fact,  the  only  officers  of  the 
whole  regiment  who  attended  to  their  duties  in 
the  forenoon,  they  having  gone  home  at  reason- 
able hours.  Their  principle  was :  first  the  work, 
and  then  the  amusement. 

Captain  Hagemann  showed  himself  in  the 
streets,  mounted  on  his  favorite  horse,  as  the 
noon  hour  struck.  He  had  not  yet  recovered 
his  equilibrium,  and  the  horse  seemed  to  appre- 
ciate that  fact  instinctively.  He  carried  his 
master  with  such  tender  commiseration  for  the 
condition  of  the  latter  that  he  picked  his  way 
as  carefully  as  if  walking  on  ice. 

Stark  himself  preferred  to  remain  altogether 
at  home.  His  "  Kater  "  1  was  inexorable,  and 
demanded  a  long,  unbroken  rest  to  find  its  way 
out  of  the  muddled  brain  of  its  owner.  His 
place  in  the  regiment  was,  as  usual,  filled  by  his 
tireless  lady.  Holding  her  husband's  official 
note-book  in  her  hand,  she  went  her  rounds, 
noticing  the  presence  of  all  the  men  and  non- 
commissioned officers,  and  making  a  black  mark 

1  "  Kater,"  a  slang  term  for  the  demoralized  condition  con- 
sequent upon  alcoholic  overindulgence.  —  TR. 
163 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

against  the  name  of  Lieutenant  Kolberg,  as  he 
was  absent  without  leave. 

At  1.30  she  received  a  visit  from  Hagemann, 
who  came  to  make  most  elaborate  and  humble 
excuses  because  he  had  been  audacious  enough 
to  indulge  in  gibes  at  the  expense  of  the  doughty 
lady  during  the  ball.  In  fact,  while  in  the  en- 
terprising stage  which  forms  so  interesting  a 
part  of  the  effects  produced  on  human  bipeds 
by  champagne,  he  had  been  bold  enough  to 
pay  her  some  strongly  ironical  compliments  in 
her  capacity  of  "  mermaid."  He  had  told  her 
incidentally  that  she  was  eminently  fitted  for  her 
part,  as  it  was  a  well-known  physiological  fact 
that  fat  kept  afloat  on  water.  Frau  Stark,  who 
was  proof  at  all  times  both  against  flattery  and 
against  the  insinuating  allurements  of  the  foamy 
liquid,  and  who  was  as  much  matter-of-fact  to- 
day as  she  had  been  the  night  before,  merely 
deigned  to  accept  these  excuses  with  a  small 
nod  and  a  dry  "  That  will  do !  " 

Leimann,  on  his  part,  likewise  started  out  on 

a  tour  of  visits,  the  sole  purpose  of  which  was  to 

offer  much-needed  explanations  and  apologies 

to  nearly  every  member  of  the  club  whom  he 

164 


had  offended  more  or  less  seriously  during  the 
period  of  his  "  howling  desolation." 

Night  had  come,  in  fact,  when  the  larger 
number  of  the  officers  met  at  a  solemn  "  Daem- 
merschoppen  "  at  the  Casino,  —  a  process  of 
applying  hair  of  the  dog  that  bit  you  to  cure  the 
injury.  They  discussed  in  voices  still  consider- 
ably husky  and  thick  the  doings  and  misdoings 
at  the  entertainment  of  the  previous  night. 
Criticism  was  applied  freely  to  everybody  who 
happened  to  be  absent;  but  about  Leimann 
judgment  was  unanimous:  he  was  a  beast. 

It  was  Borgert's  part  to  report  to  the  as- 
sembled "  Corona,"  1  in  his  inimitable  manner, 
about  that  part  of  the  adventures  of  Kolberg 
and  Frau  Kahle  which  had  come  under  his 
personal  observation. 

Nothing  had  escaped  his  lynx  eye,  and  he 
related  with  great  gusto  what  he  had  not  failed 
to  discover  of  the  interesting  proceedings  in  the 
arbor.  Even  the  protection  of  the  screen  had 
not  been  sufficient  to  blind  him. 

While  all  these  things  were  said  about  them, 

1  "  Corona,"  meaning  all  the  drinkers  present ;  a  student's 
expression.  —  TR. 

I65 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

Kolberg  and  Frau  Kahle  were  sitting  near  a 
good  fire  in  his  room,  enjoying  the  renewal  of 
their  intimacy. 

On  pretext  of  necessary  purchases,  she  had 
escaped  the  vigilance  of  her  husband,  and  under 
the  protection  of  the  dark  had  hastened  to  that 
end  of  the  town  and  to  the  garden  behind  the 
walls  of  which  stood  the  small  house  inhab- 
ited by  Kolberg.  Tall  chestnut  trees,  throwing 
their  shadows  over  its  roof,  gave  it  additional 
seclusion. 

What  was  there  really  for  her  to  make  life 
enjoyable?  Aside  from  walks  in  the  woods 
nearby  there  was  nothing  to  do  for  her  the  live- 
long day,  so  that  she  felt  it  a  positive  blessing  to 
have,  as  often  as  circumstances  would  permit, 
a  cosy  tete-a-tete  with  Kolberg.  Her  husband, 
too,  was  not  the  kind  of  man  a  woman  could  be 
happy  with.  Hard  drinking  and  interminable 
hours  spent  at  the  Casino  were  all  he  cared  for. 
The  estrangement  between  him  and  his  wife 
had  been  almost  complete  even  before  Pommer, 
and  now,  since  his  going,  Kolberg  had  crossed 
her  path. 

In  this  way  passed  several  months. 
1 66 


A   SENSATIONAL  EVENT 

The  secret  of  the  intimate  relations  existing 
between  Kolberg  and  Frau  Kahle  had  slowly 
filtered  down  into  all  the  strata  of  society  rep- 
resented in  the  little  town,  and  they  formed 
even  one  of  the  regular  themes  of  conversation 
in  the  low-class  dramshops  on  the  outskirts 
of  the  town  where  the  laboring  population 
lived. 

Even  Kolberg' s  comrades  knew  about  it,  but 
none  of  them  felt  rash  enough  to  undertake  me- 
diation or  interference  in  such  a  delicate  matter 
where  the  tangible  proofs  seemed  not  within 
reach.  It  was  to  be  expected,  that  if  confronted 
with  the  facts  of  the  case  as  far  as  these  were 
palpable,  both  parties  concerned  would  simply 
deny  the  damaging  allegation,  and  in  such  a 
case  the  role  of  the  advising  friend  might  easily 
have  become  one  of  great  difficulty.  The  ac- 
cuser might  then  have  been  charged  with  assail- 
ing the  honor  of  a  lady  of  the  regiment  and  that 
of  a  fellow-officer.  Such  a  charge,  in  the  ab- 
sence of  absolute  proof,  could  have  had  but  one 
issue.  For  who  could  tell  whether  the  sole  wit- 
ness to  some  of  the  escapades  of  the  two  —  that 
is,  Kolberg' s  man  —  would  stick  to  his  state- 
id? 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

ments  as  soon  as  he  should  see  that  circum- 
stances became  serious  ?  Perhaps  —  and  that 
seemed  probable  —  he  would  entirely  recant 
from  fear  of  punishment  for  having  secretly 
played  the  spy  on  his  master.  And  suppose  he 
then  represented  the  facts  in  a  more  harmless 
light,  who  could  gainsay  him  ? 

On  the  other  hand,  it  was  justly  feared  that 
the  denouement  of  this  matter  would  raise  much 
dust,  and  lead  to  the  resigning  of  one  comrade, 
to  a  serious  duel,  and  to  the  disruption  of  an- 
other comrade's  household.  And  as  Captain 
Kahle  was  rather  popular  with  his  comrades, 
because  of  his  open-handedness  and  his  easy 
good  nature,  nobody  felt  like  opening  his  eyes 
to  the  miserable  intrigue. 

Therefore  everything  remained  as  it  was,  and 
only  malignant  gossip  increased  in  volume,  so 
that  Captain  Konig  at  last  resolved  to  give  the 
commander  of  the  regiment  a  hint  of  affairs  in 
a  spirit  of  strict  privacy. 

But  the  colonel  asked,  as  soon  as  the  ticklish 
subject  was  broached : 

"Do  you  report  this  to  me  officially?  No? 
Well,  then,  I  don't  want  to  know  anything  about 
1 68 


A   SENSATIONAL   EVENT 

it.  I  won't  burn  my  fingers  in  meddling  with 
a  matter  of  that  kind." 

Konig  himself  did  not  feel  like  becoming  the 
instigator  of  a  most  disastrous  scandal.  After 
all,  it  was  not  primarily  an  affair  where  he  ought 
to  take  the  initiative,  and  this  aside  from  the 
further  consideration  that  he  would  probably 
become  involved  in  a  duel  by  taking  the  lead  in 
exposing  the  guilty  parties.  He  therefore  also 
made  up  his  mind  to  keep  quiet. 

Thus  it  was  that  nothing  was  done  by  any- 
body to  put  a  stop  to  all  this  mischievous  talk, 
and  to  put  out  of  the  world  a  matter  which  was 
of  the  greatest  injury  to  the  regiment  and  to 
the  whole  corps  of  officers,  —  a  matter,  too,  in 
which  the  civilian  population  was  perfectly  jus- 
tified in  pointing  the  finger  of  scorn  at  them. 
And  whereas  in  other  circles,  in  civilian  ones, 
the  guilty  parties  would  under  similar  circum- 
stances have  been  called  to  account,  in  this  in- 
stance a  state  of  things  was  permitted  to  exist 
for  a  number  of  months  which  scandalized  every 
decent  person  who,  while  forced  by  social  con- 
ventions to  meet  the  offenders  on  terms  of 
equality,  would  have  entirely  shunned  them 
169 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

once  proper  steps  were  taken  to  conciliate  out- 
raged public  opinion.  And  this  was  all  the  more 
reprehensible  because  it  affected  a  caste  which 
deems  itself  superior  to  any  other  within  the 
monarchy,  and  which  believes  itself  to  be  the 
guardian  of  good  manners  and  morals,  and  of 
a  high  conception  of  honor. 

The  largest  measure  of  blame  necessarily  fell 
to  the  share  of  Colonel  von  Kronau.  This 
gentleman,  at  all  other  times  ready  to  proceed 
with  stringent  severity  wherever  he  discovered 
slight  breaches  of  discipline  or  of  the  mechanical 
details  of  drill,  and  who  knew  no  clemency 
where  nothing  was  to  be  feared  for  himself 
by  playing  the  rigid  taskmaster,  in  this  instance 
tolerated  this  shameful  thing;  for  he  knew 
that  interference  in  this  particular  would  mean 
for  him,  in  any  case,  serious  inconvenience. 
Two  things  were  possible.  Either  he  would  be 
charged  with  falsely  accusing  others,  or  else  his 
position  as  commander  would  receive  such  a 
blow  as  to  make  it  perhaps  untenable,  once  his 
superiors  should  obtain  knowledge  of  the  actual 
state  of  affairs  within  the  regiment.  Neither 
of  these  contingencies  was  to  his  taste. 
170 


A  SENSATIONAL  EVENT 

It  was,  therefore,  with  great  relief  that  he 
one  day  received  the  official  notification  of  Cap- 
tain Kahle's  promotion  to  a  majority,  together 
with  an  order  of  the  latter' s  transference  to  a 
garrison  in  South  Germany.  That,  then,  meant 
the  longed-for  end  of  this  horrible  business,  and 
he  doubly  rejoiced  that  he  had  not  acted  on  the 
spur  of  impulse;  for  he  doubted  not  that,  if 
he  had,  the  outcome  would  not  have  been  as 
favorable. 

Kahle  felt  naturally  greatly  elated  at  his 
unexpectedly  rapid  promotion.  At  last  he  had 
reached  the  goal  of  his  ambition.  For  many 
years,  ever  since  he  had  entered  the  army  as  a 
beardless  stripling,  it  had  been  his  aim  to  attain 
to  a  commanding  position.  And  once  up  the 
ladder  as  far  as  major,  —  the  critical  point  in 
the  career  of  every  German  army  officer,  —  he 
could  with  confidence  await  further  promotions 
in  the  course  of  time;  for  he  was  not  devoid 
of  talent  in  his  profession,  and  had  devoted 
much  serious  study  and  research  to  its  higher 
spheres,  although  the  benumbing  effects  of  the 
dissolute  and  monotonous  life  in  the  little  gar- 
rison had  also  had  upon  him  decidedly  deleteri- 
171 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

ous  effects.  He  had  acquired  drinking  habits, 
and  his  domestic  peace  had,  as  he  was  aware, 
for  some  time  suffered  therefrom;  but  he  felt 
sure  that  amid  new  and  more  inspiring  sur- 
roundings he  could  pull  himself  together  and 
become  once  more  his  old  self  of  former  days. 
Hence  the  new  Major  Kahle  felt  happy,  and  no 
cloud  disturbed  his  serenity.  He  was  going  to 
a  large  and  lively  city,  and  both  he  and  his  wife 
would  reap  the  advantages  of  that.  There  was 
quartered  there  a  considerable  body  of  troops 
of  various  branches  of  the  service,  and  his  inter- 
course would,  in  consequence,  greatly  widen, 
and  so  would  that  of  his  wife.  His  income 
would  be  much  larger,  and  the  social  attractions 
offered  in  the  new  place,  — such  as  diverse  en- 
tertainments, concerts,  a  good  theatre,  and  the 
opera,  —  would  do  much  to  restore  that  sense 
of  contentment  to  his  volatile  spouse  which  she 
had  seemed  to  lack  for  long. 

The   day   after   his   promotion   had   become 
public, — a  "  Liebesmahl 5>1  assembled  the  entire 

1  "  Liebesmahl,"  a  fraternal   banquet   arranged,  on  special 
occasions,  by  the  officers  of  a  garrison  or  of  a  regiment  for  the 
purpose  of  celebrating  joyous  events.  —  TR. 
172 


A   SENSATIONAL   EVENT 

corps  of  officers  at  the  Casino.  Specially  to 
honor  the  departing  major,  the  colonel  had 
ordered  full-dress  uniform,  and  Kahle  himself, 
a  man  of  tall  and  commanding  figure,  made  a 
fine  show  in  all  the  glory  of  his  orders,  silver 
tassels,  and  broad  stripes. 

After  the  second  course  the  colonel  arose  and 
made  an  impressive  speech  in  behalf  of  the  de- 
parting comrade.  In  it  he  paid  high  tribute  to 
the  new  major's  popularity  and  to  his  eminent 
military  virtues.  At  its  close  he  handed  to 
Kahle  the  usual  silver  tankard,  bearing  the 
initials  and  insignia  of  the  regiment. 

Kahle  was  greatly  moved  by  these  tokens  of 
esteem,  and  he  thanked  the  colonel  in  a  short, 
manly  way.  In  his  farewell  speech  the  joy  of 
his  promotion  was  the  predominant  note;  but 
there  was  an  undertone  of  sadness  at  parting, 
after  so  many  years,  from  comrades  and  a  gar- 
rison he  had  known  so  long.  Often,  it  is  true, 
he  had  sighed  for  a  change,  and  there  had  been 
a  good  deal  of  worry  and  annoyance  in  this 
world-forgotten  little  town  close  to  the  French 
frontier;  but  now,  when  the  hour  of  parting 
came,  it  cut  him,  nevertheless,  to  the  quick  to 
173 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

have  to  leave  it  all  behind.  Such  is  the  weak- 
ness and  inconsistency  of  frail  human  nature. 

Next  day  he  left  by  the  noon  train,  and  the 
officers  were  assembled  at  the  station  in  full 
force  to  bid  him  good-bye.  Brief  military  leave- 
taking,  —  just  a  shake  of  the  hand  and  a  word 
or  two.  The  colonel  formally  and  affectionately 
kissed  him  on  the  cheek,  and  then  Kahle  bade 
leave  to  his  wife  and  their  little  son.  His  heart 
was  heavy,  and  it  cost  him  something  to  conceal 
the  tear  which  had  stolen  into  a  corner  of  his 
eye.  He  had  fully  resolved  to  make  his  married 
life  hereafter  a  happier  one,  and  to  have  once 
more  a  real  home.  It  was  this  thought  in  his 
mind  which  made  parting  with  his  wife  par- 
ticularly cordial.  He  trusted  that  she  would  rid 
herself  of  those  bad  habits  she  had  acquired 
here,  and  that  different  environs  would  soon 
sweep  from  her  memory  recollections  of  life 
in  this  little  town,  where  he  and  she  had  been 
forced  to  spend  the  best  years  of  their  lives,  at 
the  frontier,  quasi  outcasts  of  the  empire. 

Until  arrangements  could  be  made  by  him 
for  new  and  comfortable  quarters  in  the  gar- 
rison he  was  going  to,  Frau  Kahle  was  to  stay 


A  SENSATIONAL  EVENT 

on  here,  and  First  Lieutenant  Weil  and  wife 
had  asked  her,  to  make  things  pleasanter  for 
her,  to  remain  as  a  guest  at  their  dwelling  for 
the  short  intervening  time. 

Joyfully  Frau  Kahle  had  accepted  the  friendly 
invitation.  Thus  she  would  have  occasion 
thoroughly  to  enjoy  herself  with  Kolberg  until 
the  hour  of  separation  from  him  should  strike. 
She  felt  with  great  relief  that  with  her  husband 
away  she  had  no  longer  to  give  an  account  of 
her  actions  to  anybody. 

One  day  the  Weil  family  were  seated  with 
their  guest  at  table,  when  a  military  servant 
brought  in  a  letter  for  Frau  Kahle  which  the 
carrier  had  just  left.  She  opened  it,  rapidly 
looked  over  its  contents,  and  then  put  it  away  in 
the  pocket  of  her  robe,  her  cheeks  reddening. 

"  Frau  Pastor  Klein  is  writing  me  to  come 
and  take  a  cup  of  coffee  with  her  this  afternoon, 
since  she  wants  to  see  me  once  more  before  my 
going,  —  amiable  of  her,  is  n't  it?  I  think  I 
will  start  at  once,  so  as  not  to  be  too  late." 

She  arose,  and  sidled  out  of  the  room  with  a 
"  Till  this  evening,  then !  " 

A  few  minutes  later  Weil  saw  her  hasten- 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

ing  down  the  street  in  the  direction  of  the 
town. 

"  Strange ! "  he  then  said  to  his  wife.  "  I 
don't  think  she  ever  associated  with  her  before, 
and  scarcely  knows  her.  I  hope  this  is  not  one 
of  madame's  little  tricks." 

"  Let  her  go  where  she  will,  Max,"  retorted 
Frau  Weil,  indifferently.  "  It 's  none  of  our 
affair.  She  will  leave  in  a  day  or  two,  anyway, 
and,  after  all,  she  is  responsible  for  her  own 
actions." 

But  Weil  shook  his  head  doubtfully  and  went 
to  his  study. 

The  clock  on  the  mantel  indicated  eight,  and 
Frau  Kahle  had  not  yet  returned.  They  began 
to  fear  anxiety  on  the  score  of  their  guest. 
What  could  have  happened  to  her? 

The  maid  was  just  setting  the  table  for  the 
evening  meal  in  the  adjoining  room  when  the 
couple  were  giving  expression  to  their  surmises, 
explaining  in  one  way  or  another  this  prolonged 
absence. 

"  Minna,"  —  Frau  Weil  turned  to  the  girl,  — 
"  I  think  you  had  better  go  to  the  house  of  Frau 
Pastor  Klein  and  ask  whether  Frau  Major  Kahle 
176 


A   SENSATIONAL  EVENT 

is  still  there.  I  shall  have  no  rest  until  I  know 
what  has  become  of  her." 

"  I  don't  think  I  shall  find  her  at  the  Frau 
Pastor's,  gracious  lady,"  replied  the  girl,  "  for 
I  saw  the  Frau  Major  up  on  the  avenue,  about 
half-past  four,  as  I  was  fetching  the  milk,  and 
the  Frau  Pastor  lives  right  behind  the  church." 

"In  that  case  there  is  no  use  in  sending  there," 
and  Frau  Weil  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"  I  think  my  idea  will  prove  the  right  one," 
said  the  first  lieutenant,  — "  it  was  a  mere 
pretext  on  her  part.  She  did  not  want  to  tell 
us  where  she  was  really  going.  I  have  my  own 
thoughts  about  the  matter." 

"  And  what  do  you  think,  Max,"  his  wife 
asked,  with  some  show  of  curiosity.  "  Where 
else  could  she  be  ?  " 

"  With  Kolberg,  of  course." 

"  But  how  can  you  say  so,  Max  ?  I  don't  sup- 
pose she  .  .  ." 

"  Certainly  she  will !  That  is  just  what  she 
is  doing." 

Both  became  silent  when  the  servant  girl 
stepped  in.  She  placed  the  teapot  on  the  table, 
and  then  took  a  folded  piece  of  paper  from  her 
12  I77 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

pocket,  and  handed  it  to  Weil  with  a  peculiar 
smile. 

"  Has  this  perhaps  been  dropped  by  either  the 
Herr  First  Lieutenant  or  the  gracious  lady?  " 

And  as  Minna  had  again  retired,  the  officer 
first  gazed  at  the  paper  with  eyes  wide  open, 
then  he  gave  a  scornful  laugh  and  held  it  open 
to  his  wife. 

"  Here,  my  dear,  will  you  not  convince  your- 
self ?  There  it  is  in  black  and  white." 

Frau  Weil  hesitatingly  took  the  slip  of  paper 
from  his  hands  and  read: 

"  Am  expecting  you  to-day  at  4.30,  since  I  shall  be 
engaged  to-morrow  in  the  service." 

Signature  and  address  were  wanting,  but  the 
writing  was  unmistakably  Kolberg's. 

"  Here  it  is,"  said  Weil.  "  That  is  her  way  of 
thanking  us  for  offering  her  our  hospitality,  — 
just  lying  to  us,  and  trying  to  befool  us  for  no 
other  purpose  than  to  permit  her  to  continue 
her  disgraceful  conduct.  Did  n't  I  at  once  say 
it  would  be  better  not  to  have  her  come?  But 
you,  of  course,  insisted  on  inviting  her.  If  you 
had  listened  to  me,  we  should  now  be  spared  the 
178 


A  SENSATIONAL  EVENT 

disagreeable  necessity  of  throwing  that  woman 
out." 

"  But  for  heaven's  sake,  Max,  that  you  can't 
do.  Throw  the  note  into  the  fire !  " 

"  I  '11  do  nothing  of  the  kind,"  her  husband 
flared  up.  "I  shall  certainly  throw  her  out  of 
the  house !  Or  do  you  suppose  I  'm  going  to 
make  our  home  a  convenient  shelter  for  de- 
praved women?  Let  her  see  where  she  will 
find  another  refuge.  As  for  me,  I  respectfully 
decline  the  honor  of  harboring  her  any  longer 
as  our  guest ;  and  this  note  will  not  go  into  the 
fire,  but,  instead,  where  it  belongs,  —  before  a 
Council  of  Honor !  " 

The  young  officer  was  in  a  great  state  of 
excitement.  With  rapid  strides  he  measured 
the  room,  burying  his  hands  in  his  pockets.  His 
dark  look  betrayed  indignation  and  resolve. 

"  If  you  will  take  my  advice,"  his  soft-hearted 
spouse  said,  with  some  trepidation,  "  you  will 
put  that  bit  of  paper  into  the  stove  and  keep 
quiet  about  the  whole  matter.  She  is  to  join  her 
husband  in  another  two  days,  anyway,  and  then 
there  would  be  an  end  to  her  intrigues  in  any 
case.  Do  me  the  favor,  my  dear  Max,  and  leave 
179 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

your  fingers  out  of  that  pie,  for  there  will  be 
nothing  but  disagreeable  consequences  awaiting 
you  if  you  don't.  And  then,  another  thing, 
think  of  the  poor  major ! "  And  the  little 
woman  had  actually  tears  in  her  eyes. 

But  that  stubborn  husband  of  hers  proved 
inexorable. 

"  I  shall  do  what  I  said  I  was  going  to  do, 
and  that 's  all  there  is  about  it.  These  are  mat- 
ters you  don't  understand.  I  won't  quietly  look 
on  while  this  person  continues  her  miserable 
intrigue  with  that  scoundrel,  Kolberg,  —  at 
least  not  while  she  is  in  my  house.  She  ought 
to  have  had  enough  decency  remaining  to  have 
left  off  meeting  him  while  being  the  guest  of 
honest  people.  That  is  beastly ;  it 's  worse  than 
beastly,  —  hoggish,  I  may  say!" 

Frau  Weil  did  not  insist  any  longer.  She 
knew  her  husband,  knew  his  strictness  in  such 
matters,  and  also  knew  that  the  more  she  would 
plead  with  him  the  more  fixed  his  purpose  would 
become ;  but  her  forehead  became  rumpled  with 
unpleasant  thoughts,  and  she  sat  down  before 
the  glowing  coal  in  the  grate,  in  a  brown 
study. 

1 80 


A  SENSATIONAL  EVENT 

Her  husband  meanwhile  continued  to  pace 
the  carpet,  reflecting  on  what  steps  he  had  best 
decide. 

At  last  the  maid  came  into  the  room  once 
more,  and  said,  with  a  mien  of  ill-concealed 
curiosity : 

"  Madam  is  served !  " 

"  Tell  us,  Minna,  where  did  you  find  that 
letter?  "  said  the  officer  to  her. 

"  I  found  it  lying  in  the  hall  under  the  hat- 
rack;  I  presume  it  must  have  dropped  out  of 
somebody's  pocket." 

"  Very  well ;   you  may  go." 

Silently  the  couple  sat  down  to  table.  Weil's 
face  was  clouded,  and  his  wife  scarcely  looked 
up  from  her  plate.  She  lifted  her  glance  to  him, 
however,  with  considerable  anxiety  when  the 
hall  door  was  heard  to  open,  and  Frau  Kahle's 
voice  became  audible. 

"  She  is  coming,  Max !  Now,  for  pity's  sake, 
don't  make  a  scene!  Think  of  the  servants 
who  will  be  sure  to  listen  and  to  spread  every- 
thing that 's  said." 

But  Weil  did  not  answer,  neither  did  he  look 
at  the  door  when  it  now  opened  and  gave  admis- 
181 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

sion  to  the  Frau  Major.  Her  face  was  rosy 
with  excitement,  and  her  eyes  were  gleaming 
in  humid  tenderness. 

"  Good  evening,  both  of  you !  "  she  cried 
gayly,  her  voice  trembling  with  suppressed  agi- 
tation. "  I  hope  you  will  pardon  the  delay ; 
but  Frau  Pastor  Klein  pressed  me  so  much  to 
drive  with  her  over  to  the  city  that  I  could  not 
resist,  and  that  is  how  it  became  so  late.  But 
it  was  delightful,  —  my  afternoon  with  her. 
We  were  at  a  cafe,  and  made  a  number  of 
purchases." 

Weil  arose  stiffly  and  faced  his  guest. 

"  Madam,"  said  he,  with  quiet  dignity,  "  it 
is  useless  for  you  to  try  to  deceive  us  as  to  the 
purpose  of  your  absence  this  afternoon.  The 
letter  which  reached  you  while  at  table  with 
us,  and  which  has  come  into  our  hands  by  acci- 
dent, proves  in  the  most  unmistakable  manner 
that  you  have  abused  our  hospitality  most 
grossly.  May  I  request  you  to  leave  this  house 
as  soon  as  ever  you  can,  but  certainly  no  later 
than  to-morrow  morning?  I  must  beg  that  you 
will  leave  us  undisturbed  for  the  remainder  of 
the  evening." 

182 


A  SENSATIONAL  EVENT 

He  ceremoniously  bowed,  and  then  took  his 
seat  once  more  at  table. 

Frau  Kahle  remained  for  a  moment  as  if 
petrified  in  the  semi-obscurity  of  the  room. 
Then  she  hastily  seized  her  chatelaine  bag.  Her 
hand  tremblingly  fingered  its  contents,  and  then 
she  turned  to  the  door  and  went  out,  slamming 
it  behind  her.  The  footfall  of  her  retreating 
steps  could  be  heard  in  the  direction  of  her 
own  room. 

After  supper  the  first  lieutenant  stepped  up  to 
his  writing-desk,  lit  the  green  shaded  lamp,  and 
sat  down  on  a  stool  before  it.  Next  he  selected 
a  large  sheet  of  official  note-paper,  dipped  his 
pen,  and  leaned  back  and  reflected. 

For  some  time  he  thus  concentrated  his 
thoughts,  and  at  last  began  to  write. 

His  spouse,  meanwhile,  with  anxious  aspect, 
sat  on  the  sofa  near  a  small  table,  busy  with 
some  embroidery,  her  fingers  mechanically  trav- 
elling to  and  fro ;  but  every  little  while  she  cast 
a  troubled  glance  towards  her  husband,  whose 
pen  went  scratch,  scratch,  over  the  paper. 

At  last  he  had  finished  the  letter.  Weil  re- 
clined pensively  in  his  chair,  and  slowly  read 
183 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

over  and  over  what  he  had  written.  He  made 
no  alterations,  but  folded  Frau  Kahle's  note  up 
with  his  own,  and  then  enclosed  both  in  a  large 
yellow  envelope,  sealing  it  in  the  proper  way. 

Then  he  locked  up  the  document  in  a  drawer 
of  his  desk,  blew  out  the  lamp,  and  took  a  seat 
on  the  sofa  next  to  his  wife,  perusing  atten- 
tively a  newspaper. 

Frau  Kahle  departed  the  following  morning 
by  an  early  train.  Nobody,  not  even  the  orderly, 
knew  her  destination.  He  had  taken  her  trunk 
to  the  station,  but  she  had  not  told  him  a  word 
as  to  her  future  intentions.  And  neither  by 
letter  nor  by  word  of  mouth  had  she  left  a  word 
of  thanks  or  apology  for  her  late  hosts. 

At  noon  of  the  same  day  Lieutenant  Kolberg, 
whose  mind  not  even  the  faintest  suspicion  of 
these  latest  developments  of  his  intrigue  had 
crossed,  was  ordered  to  appear  forthwith  before 
the  commander.  The  latter,  dryly  and  without 
comment,  informed  him  that  proceedings  had 
been  begun  against  him  before  the  Council  of 
Honor,  and  that  until  further  notice  he  would 
be  excused  from  service. 

There  was  much  excitement  within  the  body 
1 84 


A   SENSATIONAL   EVENT 

of  officers.  In  their  secret  hearts  every  one  of 
them  was  glad  that  in  the  deadening  monotony 
of  their  garrison  life  this  affair,  painful  as  it 
was,  was  now  assuming  tangible  proportions. 
For  not  a  single  one  of  them  had  any  kindly 
feeling  for  Kolberg,  whose  secretive  disposition 
and  whose  absence  from  nearly  all  joint  fes- 
tivities at  the  Casino  had  rendered  him  unpop- 
ular, and  Frau  Kahle  herself  was  scarcely  better 
liked,  desperate  flirt  as  she  was. 

It  was  because  of  this  that  none  of  the  officers, 
least  of  all  Borgert,  refrained  from  criticising 
in  a  most  uncompromising  spirit  both  Kolberg 
and  his  paramour.  And  Weil's  proceedings 
were  unanimously  adjudged  perfectly  correct. 
The  remarks  made  in  regard  to  this  whole  mat- 
ter were  by  no  means  couched  in  such  terms  as 
might  have  been  expected  from  his  Majesty's 
officers  of  the  army  when  applied  to  comrades. 
In  fact,  hard  names  were  used,  and  everybody 
proclaimed  aloud  his  intention  severely  to  cut 
"  the  vulgar  beast  "  and  "  that  coarse  woman." 

Colonel  von  Kronau  had  had  a  great  fright 
when  Captain  Stark,  as  president  of  the  Council 
of  Honor,  had  handed  him  in  the  morning  that 
185 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

document  which  had  given  Weil  so  much  anx- 
ious thought.  He  ruminated  and  lugubriously 
pondered  what  had  best  be  done  in  this  unfor- 
tunate affair  in  order  to  end  it  with  the  least 
amount  of  scandal;  but  his  cogitations  were  in 
vain.  The  matter  had  been  brought  formally 
to  the  attention  of  the  Council  of  Honor,  and, 
according  to  the  strict  wording  of  the  instruc- 
tions provided,  there  was  no  squelching  or  mod- 
ification of  the  proceedings  possible.  He  had  to 
be  satisfied,  therefore,  to  curse  most  heartily  the 
author  of  the  fatal  document,  —  First  Lieuten- 
ant Weil,  —  and  to  give  him  in  his  thoughts  a 
big  black  mark  in  the  next  conduct  list. 

A  most  unwelcome  business,  indeed.  Already 
he  saw  himself  superintending  the  unloading  of 
hay-carts  on  that  estate  of  his,  far  off  in  the 
eastern,  semi-civilized  districts  of  the  realm. 

But  it  was  poor  Major  Kahle  who  would 
suffer  most  of  all.  After  attaining  at  last  the 
goal  of  his  desires,  all  his  aspirations  were  to  be 
nipped  in  the  bud  by  the  misdemeanor  of  his 
wife.  He  had  no  idea  where  she  was  now; 
she  had  preferred  not  to  venture  near  him  in 
leaving  the  garrison,  since  she  did  not  feel  sure 
186 


A   SENSATIONAL   EVENT 

of  a  cordial  reception  on  his  part.  Hence  she 
had  sent  her  little  son  to  her  parents,  while  she 
herself  had  taken  up  quarters  in  Berlin.  Her 
chief  amusement  just  now  consisted  in  the  in- 
diting of  innumerable  letters  to  Kolberg,  full 
of  reproaches  for  "  having  succeeded  by  his 
diabolical  arts  in  alienating  her  affections  from 
her  husband,"  while  the  leisure  she  could  spare 
from  these  epistolary  efforts  was  devoted  to 
roaming  that  broad  international  thoroughfare, 
Unter  den  Linden,  which  presented  to  her,  after 
her  long  "  exile  "  close  to  the  frontier,  a  striking 
and  highly  appreciated  contrast. 

Kahle  was  firmly  resolved  to  show  the  door 
to  his  faithless  wife  if  she  should  dare  present 
herself  before  him;  meanwhile  he  took  prelim- 
inary steps  to  obtain  a  legal  separation  from 
her. 

But  there  was  another  thought  heavy  on  his 
mind.  It  was  the  unavoidable  duel.  Because 
his  wife  had  deceived  him,  the  army  code  forced 
him  to  next  expose  himself  to  the  bullet  of  her 
seducer,  instead  of  simply  expelling  the  latter 
from  the  army  and  giving  him  a  much-needed 
period  of  reflection  in  jail. 
187 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

He  was  expected  to  "  save  the  honor  of  his 
wife  "  by  mortal  combat. 

What  an  absurdity!  he  thought  to  himself. 
Is  there  any  honor  left  in  a  wife  who  deceives 
her  husband  ?  A  coquette  she  was,  heartless  and 
honorless,  nothing  more,  and  yet  he  must  risk 
his  life  in  defence  of  a  thing  which  did  not  exist 
any  longer,  and  which,  he  now  strongly  sus- 
pected, had  from  the  first  been  nothing  but  a 
delusion  on  his  part  —  her  honor !  What  a 
ludicrous  farce! 

And  he  began  to  reflect  whether  there  was 
not  some  way  in  which  he  could  escape  this 
impending  duel.  Not  because  he  was  a  coward 
or  afraid  of  death;  no,  he  was  brave  enough, 
but  he  could  not  see  why  he  should  expose  to 
blind  chance  not  only  the  fruits  of  his  own  ardu- 
ous life,  but  also  the  future  of  his  son,  merely 
because  another  man  had  acted  in  a  despicable 
manner.  It  was  quite  possible  that  his  adver- 
sary might  kill  him  in  this  duel.  In  that  case 
he,  the  innocent  party,  would  suffer  the  supreme 
penalty  which  man  can  suffer,  —  death,  —  and 
the  criminal  himself  would  go  off  scot-free. 

But  reflection  showed  him  clearly  that  there 
1 88 


A  SENSATIONAL  EVENT 

was  no  way  to  avoid  mortal  combat,  for,  if  he 
refused  or  neglected  to  send  a  challenge  to  the 
other,  the  Council  of  Honor  was  bound  under 
the  code  to  dismiss  him  from  the  army,  because, 
forsooth,  he  did  not  know  how  to  "  protect  the 
honor  of  the  profession."  On  the  other  hand, 
if  he  did  this  prescribed  duty  of  "  honor,"  and 
fought  this  duel  and  escaped  being  wounded  or 
killed,  a  term  of  confinement  in  a  fortress 
awaited  him.  The  latter  seemed  to  him  the 
lesser  of  two  evils,  but  he  now  made  up  his  mind 
to  show  no  consideration  to  the  man  who  had 
destroyed  the  peace  of  his  home,  and  who  was 
likely  to  destroy  his  existence.  He  would  de- 
mand the  most  severe  conditions  for  this  duel, 
and  he  would  not  scruple  to  send  a  bullet  crash- 
ing into  his  antagonist's  brain  if  his  arm  were 
steady  enough,  or  else  let  the  scoundrel  deprive 
him  of  his  life  as  well,  —  a  life  which  would 
hereafter  be  a  burden  to  him. 

The  proceedings  and  investigations  of  the 
Council  of  Honor  required  several  months. 
Things  were  unearthed  which  to  the  younger 
officers  of  the  garrison  seemed  very  interesting, 
but  which  threw  a  dubious  light  upon  Lieuten- 
189 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

ant  Kolberg  and  his  conceptions  of  honor  and 
comradeship. 

The  behavior,  too,  of  the  corps  of  officers 
underwent  a  change  during  this  time. 

At  first  all  the  officers  had  shunned  Kolberg, 
and  he  was  only  occasionally  seen  in  the  envi- 
rons of  the  garrison  when  exercising  his  horses. 

But  one  day  Borgert  was  in  severe  financial 
straits,  and  then,  all  his  other  sources  failing, 
he  had  repaired  to  Kolberg  for  the  money  as 
a  last  resort.  And  Kolberg  on  his  part  had  been 
shrewd  enough  to  use  the  opportunity  to  place 
Borgert  under  obligations,  for  he  knew  the  lat- 
ter's  influence  on  his  younger  comrades.  There- 
fore, Kolberg  managed  to  raise  the  thousand 
marks  needed,  and  put  himself  at  Borgert's  dis- 
posal for  future  occasions  of  the  kind. 

The  result  of  this  manoeuvre  could  have  been 
foreseen.  Within  a  few  days  Borgert  had 
changed  his  tune  in  regard  to  Kolberg' s  char- 
acter and  failings.  At  the  Casino  table  he  now 
sang  his  praises,  lauded  the  fine  qualities  of  com- 
radeship possessed  by  Kolberg,  and  condemned 
the  view  taken  by  the  superior  officers  of  the 
lieutenant's  guilt,  doing  all  this  in  his  effective 
190 


A  SENSATIONAL  EVENT 

manner,  half  banter,  half  bonhomie;  so  that 
the  disgraced  one,  although  not  doing  actual 
duty,  became  suddenly  a  well-received  guest  at 
the  social  functions  in  the  Casino ;  and  not  alone 
that,  he  also  assumed  successfully  the  part  of 
host  himself,  in  the  much-talked-of  little  garden- 
house  under  the  chestnut  trees. 

Kolberg  could  even  go  so  far  as  to  brag  at 
his  own  table,  while  champagne  from  his  cellars 
was  flowing  and  his  guests  smoked  his  fragrant 
Havanas,  of  the  prowess  to  be  shown  by  him  at 
the  prospective  duel.  He  applied  names  like 
"  Damelsack  "  l  to  Kahle,  of  whom  he  vowed  to 
"  make  short  work."  In  that  way  he  not  only 
silenced  all  his  former  detractors,  but  actually 
became  the  lion  of  the  garrison  —  a  dashing 
fellow,  who  had  made  the  conquest  of  a  lady's 
heart,  while  others  had  to  be  satisfied  with  lesser 
game. 

He  began  to  sing  small,  however,  when  he 
one  day  received  Kahle's  challenge: 

"  Fifteen  paces  distance,  visored  duelling 
pistols,  and  an  exchange  of  bullets  to  the 
point  of  incapacitating  one  or  both  parties." 

1  "  Damelsack  "  —  a  low  term  of  opprobrium.  —  TR. 
191 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

That  he  had  not  expected.  Why,  this  was 
murder,  he  said,  and  the  issue  of  the  forth- 
coming duel  now  became  suddenly  rather 
doubtful  to  him;  all  the  more  as  the  major 
was  known  to  be  a  good  shot,  and  his  repu- 
tation as  an  excellent  Nimrod  was  known 
beyond  the  confines  of  the  garrison. 

So,  then,  Kolberg  earnestly  began  to  train 
for  the  meeting.  Day  after  day  he  could  be 
seen  issuing  forth  for  a  walk  into  the  woods 
nearby,  for  pistol  practice.  Scores  of  trees 
soon  bore  the  traces  of  his  bullets.  When  the 
day  of  battle  would  come  he  meant  to  be  pre- 
pared to  face  his  adversary  well  equipped. 

Sometimes,  when  he  sent  leaden  pellets,  one 
after  the  other,  into  his  targets,  the  thought 
would  occur  to  him  that  really  he  ought  not 
to  hit  the  major,  since  he  had  sinned  against 
him  and  betrayed  his  trust.  It  was  something 
like  the  last  flickerings  of  a  feeling  of  duty 
which  had  dwindled  for  years  in  the  slow 
process  of  moral  decadence:  the  last  flutter- 
ings  of  a  guilt-laden  conscience  and  of  a  sense 
of  justice.  These  dim  emotions,  however, 
were  drowned  by  a  more  powerful  sentiment: 
192 


A  SENSATIONAL  EVENT 

his  newly  awakened  love  of  life,  the  primal 
feeling  of  self-preservation,  which  seized  him 
all  the  harder  the  more  he  began  to  muse 
about  the  possibility  of  having  to  lose  a  life 
which  offered  so  much  that  was  worth  living 
for.  An  inner  voice  called  to  him :  "  Thou 
shalt  not  die !  Life  is  sweet !  " 

And  there  was  only  one  way  of  carrying 
out  his  purpose,  —  to  kill  his  man. 

In  this  way,  with  delays  and  supplementary 
investigation,  four  months  elapsed.  Then  at 
last  the  Council  of  Honor  pronounced  its  sen- 
tence. Kolberg  was  dismissed  from  the  ser- 
vice; but,  along  with  the  formal  request  to 
his  Majesty  to  confirm  the  sentence,  went  a 
unanimously  signed  petition  for  his  rein- 
statement. 

The  proposed  duel  was  likewise  sanctioned, 
but  not  under  the  conditions  proposed  by 
Kahle.  Perhaps  it  was  feared  that  a  fatal 
ending  to  the  duel,  such  as  the  very  stringent 
conditions  seemed  to  make  almost  unavoid- 
able, would  raise  too  much  dust.  For  quite 
recently  there  had  been  several  cases  of  a 
similar  nature,  and  the  death  of  one  of  the 

13  i93 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

duellists  had  had  the  most  disagreeable  con- 
sequences for  those  high-commanding  officers 
who  had  neither  attempted  to  modify  the  con- 
ditions of  combat  nor  endeavored  to  bring 
about  reconciliation. 

Thus  it  was  that  the  new  terms  of  the 
challenge  were:  thirty-five  paces  distance  and 
one  exchange  of  bullets;  ordinary  pistols. 

Kahle,  then,  was  to  be  given  no  opportunity 
to  punish  as  he  deserved  the  disturber  of  his 
domestic  peace,  because  superior  officers  did 
not  wish  to  bring  unpleasant  consequences 
upon  themselves;  for  the  duel,  as  now  ar- 
ranged for  under  these  altered  terms,  he 
regarded  as  a  mere  farce,  and  a  possible 
fatal  issue  could  be  nothing  but  the  work  of 
blind  accident. 

Borgert  had  been  requested  by  Kolberg  to 
serve  as  his  second,  and  the  former  readily 
agreed  to  this;  for  on  the  one  hand  he  liked 
to  play  the  role  of  an  onlooker  in  such  an 
affair,  and  on  the  other  he  deemed  it  prudent 
to  put  Kolberg  under  a  new  obligation;  all 
the  more  as  the  repaying  of  his  loans  seemed 
as  far  off  as  ever. 

194 


A   SENSATIONAL  EVENT 

On  the  eve  of  his  leaving  for  that  city  in 
South  Germany  where  the  meeting  was  to 
take  place,  Kolberg  once  more  assembled  his 
faithful  admirers  in  his  quiet  little  garden- 
house.  His  invitations  had  been  for  a  ban- 
quet, washed  down  with  some  of  his  choicest 
wines.  The  drinking  on  that  occasion  was  so 
hard  that  Kolberg  himself  became  completely 
intoxicated,  and  when  his  guests  left  he  was 
snoring  in  a  drunken  stupor  on  his  lounge. 
The  train  left  early,  and  Kolberg' s  man  had 
a  hard  task  in  rousing  his  master  sufficiently 
at  the  proper  time  to  hastily  prepare  him  for 
his  long  journey. 

Borgert  had  been  in  a  similar  plight.  As 
he  stood  on  the  station  platform  a  few  minutes 
before  the  train  rolled  in,  he  felt  as  if  he  had 
only  just  now  risen  from  his  chair  at  the  fes- 
tive board. 

As  he  confided  this  impression  to  his  prin- 
cipal, Kolberg,  he  did  not  forget  to  mention 
incidentally  that,  "  of  course,"  he  had  for- 
gotten to  take  his  purse  along.  With  a  show 
of  assumed  indifference  he  stuffed  the  two 
"  blue  rags "  into  his  watchpocket,  Kolberg 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

having  fished  the  bills  with  trembling  fingers 
out  of  his  own  wallet,  and  a  silent  pressure 
of  the  hand  was  the  only  thing  Kolberg  was 
ever  to  receive  in  lieu  thereof. 

They  arrived  at  Kahle's  garrison  in  due 
time,  still  in  a  somewhat  dazed  condition. 
Kahle's  second  had  attended  to  all  the  pre- 
liminaries of  the  duel.  It  was  a  cold  morn- 
ing when  two  cabs  rolled  out  of  the  town  on 
their  way  to  the  garrison  shooting  stands, 
where  the  bloody  meeting  was  to  take  place. 

The  sun  was  just  peeping  over  the  backs 
of  the  mountains  to  the  east,  and  sent  his 
first  oblique  rays  down  upon  the  hoar-frosted 
stubble  fields. 

Peacefully  Nature  spread  her  autumnal  robe, 
and  in  the  forest  deep  silence  reigned.  The 
only  sound,  now  and  then,  was  the  fluttering 
of  a  dead  leaf  seeking  its  bed  of  repose  on 
the  bare  earth. 

In  the  first  cab  sat  Kolberg,  Borgert,  and 
two  surgeons,  while  the  second  was  occupied 
by  Kahle,  his  second,  and  the  two  members  of 
the  Council  of  Honor,  who  were  to  witness 
the  duel  as  impartial  judges.  Beneath  the 
196 


A  SENSATIONAL  EVENT 

rear  seat  lay  the  case  of  pistols.  From  the 
highroad  the  vehicles  turned  into  a  side  path, 
so  narrow  that  the  branches  of  the  trees  stand- 
ing to  right  and  left  frequently  beat  against 
the  cab  panes. 

They  reached  their  destination,  —  an  open- 
ing in  the  woods.  It  was  here,  secluded  from 
all  curious  and  observant  eyes,  that  the  officers 
of  the  nearby  garrison  went  to  settle  their 
"  affairs  of  honor."  The  occupants  of  both 
vehicles  descended  and  ordered  the  drivers  to 
ride  back  to  the  edge  of  the  woods,  and  there 
await  their  return. 

The  case  containing  the  pistols  was  placed 
on  a  slight  eminence,  and  the  seconds  took 
out  the  weapons;  then  these  were  loaded,  and 
both  pistols  underwent  an  examination  by  the 
seconds. 

The  surgeons  took  off  their  coats,  spread 
out  their  instruments,  and  made  ready  strips 
of  bandage.  Meanwhile  the  judges  had  meas- 
ured the  proper  distance  and  had  firmly  planted 
their  swords  at  either  end,  to  mark  the  termi- 
nal points.  This  was  accomplished  with  some 
difficulty,  as  the  ground  was  frozen  hard. 
197 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

The  customary  formal  attempt  to  effect  a 
reconciliation  was  ineffectual,  of  course,  and 
so  the  two  principals  took  their  stands  at  the 
indicated  points. 

Kahle  looked  pale;  he  trembled  with  the 
cold,  and  his  nervously-twitching  features  be- 
trayed intense  agitation. 

Kolberg,  on  the  contrary,  was  almost  smil- 
ing, and  threw  away  with  a  careless  gesture 
the  stub  of  the  cigarette  he  had  been  smoking 
until  the  last. 

One  of  the  judges  explained  briefly  the 
order  of  combat,  saying  that  the  shots  must 
be  fired  between  the  words  "  one "  and 
"  three."  A  moment  later  he  commanded : 

"Ready!" 

Both  men  held  their  pistols  pointed  towards 
the  ground,  in  order  to  raise  them  immedi- 
ately on  the  word  "  one." 

Simultaneously  with  "  two "  Kahle  fired, 
and  the  ball  struck  with  a  slight  noise  the 
bark  of  a  beech  tree,  a  step  or  two  to  the 
left  of  and  above  his  adversary,  while  a  small 
twig  fell  rattling  from  overhead.  Kahle's  un- 
steady hand  had  given  his  pistol  a  slight 
198 


A   SENSATIONAL   EVENT 

upward  turn,  so  that  he  had  missed  his 
prey. 

Kolberg,  however,  stood  throughout  firm 
and  motionless,  and  took  steady  aim,  so  that 
with  "  three  "  the  trigger  of  his  pistol  fell. 

Kahle  looked  unflinchingly  at  the  small 
black  mouth  of  the  pistol  pointing  at  him, 
but  at  the  shot  he  opened  his  eyes  wide, 
lurched  heavily,  and  fell  headlong. 

A  cold  tremor  ran  down  Kolberg' s  spine  as 
he  saw  the  tall,  powerful  man  pitch  forward, 
and  for  a  moment  he  remained,  his  smoking 
pistol  lifted,  rooted  to  the  spot.  Then  the 
weapon  slipped  from  his  hand. 

The  others,  however,  immediately  ran 
towards  the  major,  and  the  surgeons  tore 
open  his  coat. 

There  was  a  small  hole  in  his  chest,  and 
the  blood  began  to  ooze  from  it. 

Kahle  had  lost  consciousness  for  a  second 
only.  Now  he  lay  there,  pale,  and  gazing 
steadily  at  the  men  busily  engaged  about  him. 

Kolberg  also  approached,  holding  out  his 
hand  in  token  of  amity;  but  he  quickly  with- 
drew his  hand  and  retreated  out  of  sight,  for 
199 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

a  cold,  repellent  look  from  Kahle's  eyes  had 
met  his.  From  some  short  distance  in  the 
rear,  out  of  the  reach  of  those  severe  eyes, 
he  attentively  viewed  his  prostrate  foe;  then 
he  turned  on  his  heels  and  made  off  through 
the  woods,  towards  the  cabs. 

The  major's  wound,  however,  was  found  to 
be  not  fatal,  although  the  bullet  had  grazed  the 
lungs,  and  a  long  time  would  have  to  elapse 
before  he  would  be  up  and  about  once  more. 

One  of  the  cabs  was  driven  up  and  the 
major  carefully  lifted  into  it.  The  two  sur- 
geons accompanied  him  inside,  while  his 
second  occupied  the  place  next  the  driver. 
Thereupon  they  drove  back  at  a  slow  gait  to 
the  city,  where  the  injured  man  was  to  be  at 
once  taken  to  the  hospital. 

After  he  had  taken  farewell  from  the  two 
judges  as  the  vehicle  reached  the  outskirts  of 
the  town,  Borgert,  who  remained  with  Kolberg, 
slapped  the  latter  encouragingly  on  the  shoul- 
der and  said : 

"  Don't  make  such  a  wry  face,  man  alive ! 
Be  satisfied  that  you  got  off  with  a  whole 
skin.  Of  course,  it  was  rough  on  the  poor 
200 


A  SENSATIONAL  EVENT 

devil  that  you  happened  to  hit  him  in  the 
chest ;  but  that 's  something  you  are  not  re- 
sponsible for;  after  all,  the  challenge  came 
from  him.  And  now  let 's  have  a  good  break- 
fast, for  my  stomach  rebels  against  this  raw 
air.  I  am  not  accustomed  to  knock  about  the 
woods  so  early  in  the  morning." 

"  I  feel  sincerely  sorry  that  I  hit  the  major 
so  unluckily,"  replied  Kolberg ;  "  but  I  did  n't 
mean  to,  and  the  devil  take  the  women !  It 's 
always  their  doing.  I  don't  know  anyway 
what  made  me  take  up  with  that  silly  Kahle 
woman ! " 

"  Don't  bother  your  head  about  that,  my 
dear  fellow,"  said  Borgert.  "  The  major 
alone  is  to  blame,  for  he  ought  to  have 
looked  out  better  for  that  handsome  wife  of 
his.  And  as  for  her,  she  is  not  worth  a 
thought,  as  we  all  know.  One  must  treat  a 
woman  as  she  deserves." 

Borgert' s  specious  eloquence  succeeded  in  a 
short  while  in  dispelling  the  clouds  from  Kol- 
berg's  face,  for  to  his  callous  perceptions  all 
that  the  other  had  said  was  true.  That  there 
were  heartless  and  vulgar  sentiments  contained 
201 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

in  Borgert's  words  he  neither  understood  nor 
cared  about. 

So  these  worthy  twain  proceeded  to  their 
hotel,  donned  citizens'  clothes,  and  then  re- 
paired to  a  fashionable  restaurant.  The 
waiters  received  them  with  sleepy  eyes,  being 
just  engaged  in  putting  the  place  to  rights; 
for  it  was  still  very  early  in  the  day,  and  they 
looked  at  their  guests  with  something  of 
amazement. 

The  two  officers  started  in  on  their  round 
of  dissipation  with  several  glassfuls  of  neat 
brandy,  and  wound  up,  late  at  night,  in  a 
resort  of  doubtful  repute.  Whoever  might 
have  observed  them  throughout  the  day,  jok- 
ing and  jesting,  could  not  have  helped  the 
conclusion  that  these  two  had  clearly  forgot- 
ten the  events  of  the  morning,  and  that  they 
had  recovered,  together  with  their  peace  of 
mind,  that  superficial  good  humor  which  so 
often  distinguishes  the  conscienceless  rascal 
from  the  man  of  finer  mould. 

Next  day,  at  noon,  our  two  heroes  arrived 
at  their  garrison.  They  were  received  with 
open  arms  by  a  number  of  their  comrades,  for 
202 


A  SENSATIONAL  EVENT 

the  rumor  of  what  had  occurred  had  preceded 
them. 

A  group  of  officers,  in  fact,  stood  on  the  plat- 
form of  the  little  station  as  they  left  their  train, 
and  after  much  handshaking  and  congratula- 
tions, all  of  them  accompanied  Kolberg  to  his 
dwelling,  there  to  celebrate  his  triumph  in  a 
"  drop  "  of  choice  wine. 

But  there  were  some  of  the  officers,  especially 
the  elder  ones,  who  censured  Kolberg  for  his 
heartless  behavior.  Several  of  them  even  went 
so  far  as  to  say  that  it  would  have  been  more 
fitting  for  him  to  have  remained  alone  just  at 
this  time,  and  to  make  amends  for  his  past  fol- 
lies by  a  term  of  undisturbed  self-inspection; 
this  new  orgy  they  thought,  above  all,  indecent 
and  coarse. 

Two  days  afterward  the  confirmation  of  the 
sentence  pronounced  in  his  case  by  the  Council 
of  Honor  arrived  from  Berlin.  With  it  came 
likewise  the  permission  for  Kolberg  to  enter  the 
army  anew  as  a  junior  lieutenant.  That,  how- 
ever, meant  his  transference  to  another  garri- 
son, for  in  this  one  there  was  no  room  for  him. 
Before  he  could  start  his  career  afresh  in  a 
203 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

beautiful  city  by  the  Rhine,  Kolberg  had  to 
comply  with  one  other  little  formality,  and  that 
took  him  to  a  fortress  where  he  had  to  undergo 
confinement  of  an  easy  description,  and  lasting 
only  for  a  couple  of  months,  because  he  had 
been  guilty  of  "  participation  in  a  duel  with 
deadly  weapons,"  as  his  Majesty's  decree  read. 

The  major  recovered  very  slowly.  The  diffi- 
cult operation  undertaken  by  two  regimental  sur- 
geons of  removing  the  bullet  imbedded  near  the 
spinal  column  had  not  entirely  succeeded.  The 
bullet  had  indeed  been  removed,  but  inflamma- 
tion of  the  affected  parts  had  set  in,  and  this 
had  been  accompanied  with  great  pain  and  a 
high  fever. 

It  was  only  towards  the  close  of  winter  that 
the  major  was  dismissed  from  the  hospital  as 
a  convalescent.  His  health  and  his  energy 
were  both  gone,  and  he  was  compelled  to  re- 
sign his  commission  in  the  army,  his  strength 
being  insufficient  to  discharge  the  duties  of 
his  post. 

He  also  had  been  sentenced  to  a  three  months' 
term  in  a  fortress  in  consonance  with  the  in- 
variable custom  followed  in  such  cases  by  the 
204 


A   SENSATIONAL   EVENT 

Kaiser,  which  makes  no  distinction  between 
offender  and  offended,  between  victim  and  ag- 
gressor. But  in  this  instance  a  confinement  of 
a  few  days  was  considered  ample,  and  at  the 
expiration  of  this  brief  term  the  imperial  par- 
don reached  the  broken-down  man,  and  he  was 
permitted  to  depart  to  wherever  his  inclination 
might  take  him. 

Kahle  thus  saw  his  life's  labor  destroyed.  As 
a  man  who  had  scarcely  reached  forty,  yet  with 
his  physical  strength  nearly  spent,  he  had  to 
face  the  question  how  and  where  he  was  to 
carve  out  a  new  field  of  activity  for  himself. 
His  small  pension  was  wholly  insufficient  to 
enable  him  to  even  eke  out  an  existence  on  it, 
and  he  had,  besides,  by  the  decree  of  the  court, 
been  intrusted  with  the  sole  custody  of  his 
child.  This,  while  it  gave  him  at  least  an  ob- 
ject in  life,  was  for  a  man  in  his  circumstances 
an  additional  grave  burden;  for  his  little  son 
was  still  of  that  tender  age  to  require  a  woman's 
constant  ministrations. 

The  small  fortune  which  his  divorced  wife 
had  brought  into  their  marriage  had,  of  course, 
been  handed  back  to  her  by  the  law. 
205 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

And  why  had  all  this  misfortune  overtaken 
him? 

Because  the  army  code  and  social  conventions 
had  bidden  him  to  save  as  much  of  the  "  honor  " 
of  his  wife  as  he  could.  To  this  mistaken  idea 
he  had  been  sacrificed. 

And  Kolberg  was  domiciled  by  the  vine-clad 
borders  of  the  Rhine,  and  in  his  new  garrison 
led  a  life  as  dissipated  and  as  free  of  care  as 
he  had  in  his  former  one. 


206 


CHAPTER  VII 

AN  AIRY   STRUCTURE   COLLAPSES 

SEATED  at  his  desk  in  his  elegantly  fur- 
nished apartments,  we  see  First  Lieutenant 
Borgert. 

Before  him  lay  a  large  sheet  of  paper  cov- 
ered with  rows  of  figures,  and  all  around  him 
whole  mountains  of  documents,  bills,  and  vari- 
colored envelopes. 

One  after  another  he  took  up  these  bits  of 
paper,  and  from  them  noted  down  amounts  on 
the  big  sheet.  He  had  already  reached  the  third 
column  when  he  suddenly  ceased  his  labors  and 
threw  the  pencil  disgustedly  away.  Then  he 
grasped  the  whole  pile  and  threw  it  into  the 
fire,  where  in  a  few  moments  it  was  consumed 
in  the  leaping  flame  and  reduced  to  a  tiny  mass 
of  ashes. 

His  laudable  purpose  had  been  to  go  through 
all  the  claims  against  him,  so  far  as  they  had 
been  presented.  Usually  his  simple  method  was 
207 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

to  throw  bills,  as  they  reached  him,  into  the 
stove;  but  for  once  he  had  been  curious  to  find 
out  how  much  he  really  owed  in  the  world,  or 
at  least  to  gain  an  approximate  idea  of  his 
indebtedness. 

But  we  have  seen  that  he  gave  it  up  as  an 
impossible  task.  To  tread  the  mazes  of  these 
bundles  of  dunning  letters,  plaints,  simple  bills, 
and  formal  orders  issued  to  him  by  the  colonel 
to  discharge  certain  debts  submitted  to  his 
authority,  was  more  than  Borgert  felt  himself 
equal  to,  especially  as  the  conviction  had  very 
soon  dawned  on  him  that  his  was  labor  lost. 
This  much  had  become  quite  clear :  to  pay  his 
debts  was  impossible,  for  their  total  rose  far 
and  away  above  his  surmises.  When  he  had 
left  off  in  sheer  disgust,  the  neat  little  sum  of 
eleven  thousand  marks  had  been  reached,  and 
to  that  had  to  be  added  the  other  mountain 
of  bills  which  he  had  just  consigned  to  the 
flames. 

Most  of  all,  the  seven  hundred  marks  which 

he  owed  to  Captain  Konig  lay  on  his  conscience ; 

but  there  were  some  other  items  that  pressed 

him  hard,  for  they  were  "  debts  of  honor,"  con- 

208 


AN  AIRY   STRUCTURE 

tracted  with  his  equals  in  the  social  scale;  and 
the  first  of  these,  amounting  to  two  thousand 
three  hundred  marks,  was  due  in  about  six 
weeks.  How  and  where  should  he  raise  these 
large  amounts? 

He  began  to  reflect.  The  furniture  had  al- 
ready been  saddled  with  a  chattel  mortgage,  one 
of  his  horses  even  been  mortgaged  twice,  and 
for  the  other,  his  former  charger,  he  probably 
would  not  get  more  than  three  hundred  marks, 
and  that  was  nothing  but  a  drop  on  a  hot  stone. 
Of  his  comrades  there  was  none  remaining  with 
whom  an  attempt  to  borrow  would  have  had  the 
slightest  prospect  of  success,  —  possibly  Konig 
alone  excepted.  But  should  he  go  to  him  again 
with  such  a  request?  It  could  not  be  easily 
done,  —  at  least  not  before  the  old  item  of  seven 
hundred  marks  had  been  paid  back.  The  only 
safety  anchor  he  could  think  of  was  a  formal 
request  for  a  large  loan  from  a  Berlin  usurer 
with  a  large  clientele  in  the  army.  In  fact,  he 
had  tried  it;  but  the  fellow  had  not  yet  been 
heard  from,  although  three  weeks  had  gone 
since  this  same  individual  had  been  furnished 
with  a  surety  given  by  First  Lieutenant  Lei- 
14  209 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

mann,  and  with  a  life  insurance  policy  in  the 
amount  of  twenty  thousand  marks. 

For  the  moment  nothing  could  be  done.  He 
would  try  to  pacify  in  some  way  the  most  press- 
ing of  his  creditors,  and  to  pay  in  small  instal- 
ments only  those  who  either  should  begin  legal 
proceedings  against  him,  or  lodge  their  com- 
plaints with  the  regiment.  Perhaps  —  who 
could  tell?  —  an  undiscovered  source  might 
open  somewhere;  perhaps  luck  at  the  cards, 
so  long  unfaithful  to  him,  would  return,  or  one 
of  his  many  tickets  in  various  state  lotteries 
would  draw  a  big  prize.  And  who  could  tell 
but  what  the  biggest  prize  of  all,  a  wealthy 
bride  with  a  good  fat  dowry,  might  not  fall  to 
his  share?  He  had  formal  applications  of  the 
kind  on  file  with  several  of  the  most  prominent 
and  successful  marriage  agencies  at  the  capital 
and  elsewhere,  and  only  recently  one  of  these 
centres  for  the  radiation  of  connubial  bliss,  so 
much  in  vogue  with  his  kind  throughout  the 
empire,  had  been  heard  from  to  some  apparent 
purpose. 

"  Quite  a  bundle  of  bright  hopes,"  he  said  to 
himself,  and  with  that  his  plastic  mind  resumed 
210 


AN  AIRY  STRUCTURE 

its  equilibrium.  His  good  humor  returned,  he 
lit  himself  a  cigarette,  and  whistled  a  gay  tune, 
while  pacing  the  thick  Smyrna  rugs  in  the  centre 
of  his  study. 

His  alert  ear  heard  a  whispering  in  the  cor- 
ridor. He  discerned  the  soft  tread  of  nimble 
feet  on  the  hall  carpet,  and  then  there  was  a 
knock  at  his  door. 

That  must  be  Frau  Leimann,  he  thought  to 
himself,  for  she  frequently  paid  him  hasty  visits 
at  the  afternoon  tea  hour,  because  at  that  time 
her  husband  used  to  go  to  the  "  Dammer- 
schoppen." 

To  his  "  Come,"  however,  a  poorly  clad 
woman  with  a  basket  on  her  arm  stepped  over 
the  threshold.  Her  youthful  face  showed  al- 
ready the  unmistakable  stamp  which  care  and 
sorrow  had  imprinted  on  it,  and  she  gazed  shyly 
at  the  officer  who  had  remained  standing  in  the 
centre  of  the  room,  whence  he  eyed  his  visitor 
with  undisguised  displeasure. 

"  And  what  is  it  you  want  again,  Frau 
Meyer?"  he  blurted.  "I've  told  you  once  before 
that  I  will  give  you  no  more  washing  to  do." 

"  I  beg  the  Herr  First  Lieutenant  will  ex- 

211 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

cuse  me,  but  I  wanted  to  ask  whether  I  cannot 
have  to-day  those  forty  marks,  or  at  least  a  part 
of  them.  I  badly  need  money,  for  my  husband 
has  been  lying  sick  for  three  weeks  past  and  is 
unable  to  work." 

"  Oh,  bother ! "  replied  Borgert,  roughly. 
"  Come  back  to-morrow  night ;  I  have  no  small 
change  about  me,  and  I  have  n't  any  time  to 
spare." 

"  But  I  hope  you  will  keep  faith  with  me  this 
time,  Herr  First  Lieutenant;  you  have  prom- 
ised so  often  to  pay  me." 

With  that  she  diffidently  opened  the  door  and 
left,  but  Borgert  undid  one  of  the  windows  and 
let  the  pure  autumn  air  stream  in.  The  odor 
of  these  povery-stricken  wretches  was  insup- 
portable to  him.  Disgusting!  He  took  from  a 
carved  cabinet  on  the  wall  a  large  perfume 
bottle,  and  sprinkled  a  good  portion  of  its  con- 
tents upon  the  costly  rugs  and  the  upholstery 
of  his  furniture.  Then  he  rang  the  bell  for  his 
servant. 

The  man  stepped  in  briskly.  It  was  Private 
Rose,  whom  the  captain  no  longer  wanted  in 
the  front,  since  he  had  proven  unreliable,  and 

212 


AN  AIRY  STRUCTURE 

with  his  deficient  conceptions  of  military  disci- 
pline would  only  be  an  injury  to  the  squadron. 

"  What  did  I  order  you  to  do,  you  swine?  " 
the  officer  shouted. 

"  I  was  to  let  nobody  in  without  being  an- 
nounced," answered  Rose  with  diffidence;  "but 
the  woman  passed  me  by,  and  I  could  not  hinder 
her  from  going  in." 

"  Then  throw  the  carrion  out,  thou  sloppy 
beast!  The  first  time  somebody  is  let  in  again 
without  my  consent,  I  '11  cowhide  you  within  an 
inch  of  your  life! " 

In  saying  which,  he  struck  Rose  with  both 
fists  in  the  face,  then  thrust  open  the  door  and 
kicked  him  out. 

"  If  the  hag  should  come  back  to-morrow 
night,  you  tell  her  I've  just  gone  out!"  he 
called  after  him. 

Borgert  had  just  seated  himself,  with  a  news- 
paper, by  the  window  when  the  floor  bell  once 
more  sounded.  It  was  a  short,  energetic  tinkle. 
The  servant  came  in  and  announced,  with  a  face 
still  wet  with  tears : 

"  A  gentleman  would  like  to  see  the  Herr 
First  Lieutenant ! " 

213 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

"What  is  his  name?  I  told  you  always  to 
get  the  name  first." 

The  man  left  the  room,  but  immediately 
returned. 

"  He  will  not  give  me  his  name,  but  he  says 
he  must  speak  with  the  Herr  First  Lieutenant 
in  any  event." 

"Then  ask  him  in!" 

A  moment  later  a  man  stepped  in,  carrying 
a  large  wallet  under  his  arm,  and  introduced 
himself,  —  "  Bailiff  Krause." 

"  Begging  the  Herr  First  Lieutenant's 
pardon  in  case  I  should  disturb  him,  but  I 
have  a  mandate  from  the  court.  Please,  here 
it  is!" 

And  he  took  from  his  wallet  a  voluminous 
envelope  and  handed  it  to  Borgert,  who,  how- 
ever, did  not  lose  his  presence  of  mind,  and 
answered  in  a  pleasant  tone: 

"  Ah,  I  know.  Has  already  been  settled  yes- 
terday; for  I  presume  it  is  for  that  small 
amount  which  I  owe  to  my  tailor." 

"  As  far  as  I  know,  Herr  First  Lieutenant, 
it  is  about  the  matter  of  the  firm  of  Froehlich 
&  Co.,  the  sum  demanded,  on  bills  of  exchange 
214 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

signed  by  you,  being  four  thousand  marks,  for 
furniture  sold  and  delivered." 

"Oh,  that's  it!  The  firm  might  have 
spared  itself  that  trouble;  the  whole  amount 
was  transmitted  by  my  bank  day  before  yes- 
terday." 

"  So  much  the  better,  then,"  jested  the  official. 
"  I  have  the  honor." 

"  Farewell,  Herr  Krause ;  I  would  say  au 
revoir,  but  your  visit  always  means  a  doubtful 
pleasure." 

When  the  man  was  gone,  Borgert  tore  open 
the  envelope  and  scanned  the  contents  of  the 
document  it  contained. 

That  was  a  most  disagreeable  business.  The 
furniture  had  not  yet  been  paid  for,  but  already 
mortgaged,  although  the  explicit  terms  of  the 
contract  forbade  his  doing  so  until  after  pay- 
ment in  full  to  the  merchant  had  made  the  whole 
his  own  property. 

Four  thousand  marks!  A  heap  of  money! 
He  would  have  to  speak  to  Leimann;  perhaps 
he  could  do  something. 

Then  suddenly  he  remembered  that  the  bailiff 
had  not  passed  out  into  the  street  through  the 

215 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

front  garden.     He  called  his  servant  and  asked 
him: 

"  Where  did  the  man  go  to?  " 

"  Upstairs,  Herr  First  Lieutenant." 

"To  Leimann's?" 

"  Just  so,  Herr  First  Lieutenant." 

Well,  now,  what  had  he  to  do  up  there? 
Could  it  be  possible  that  they  also  were  in  his 
toils  ?  That  indeed  would  be  bad,  for  Leimann 
had,  in  spite  of  all,  remained  something  like  an 
aid  and  help  to  him  in  becoming  surety  for 
payments  promised  or  in  calming  obstreperous 
creditors. 

Meanwhile  Herr  Krause  handed  to  Frau  Lei- 
mann, scared  almost  out  of  her  wits,  the  summons 
in  an  action  begun  by  the  firm  of  Weinstein 
&  Co.,  to  which  she  owed  a  matter  of  four  hun- 
dred marks  for  a  silk  robe  furnished  by  them. 

She  was  in  despair,  and  scurried  to  and  fro 
in  the  room,  vainly  cudgelling  her  brain  for  an 
idea  that  would  bring  her  succor.  What  could 
she  do?  Where  should  she  get  the  money? 
She  would  go  to  Borgert  and  ask  him  for  the 
amount.  But  what  would  he  think  of  her? 
Would  he  not  lose  all  respect  for  her? 
216 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

For  a  moment  she  stood  undecided  in  her 
room,  and  pressed  both  hands  against  her 
wildly  beating  heart.  Then  she  went  reso- 
lutely to  the  door  and  hastened  down  the  back 
stairs. 

She  found  Borgert  musing  in  an  easy-chair, 
and  he  did  not  even  rise  when  she  entered,  but 
merely  waved  his  hand  in  greeting  to  her.  But 
she  stepped  up  to  him  and  kissed  him  tenderly 
on  the  forehead,  and  then  she  sat  down  close  by 
him.  He  was  puzzled  by  her  demeanor,  and 
looked  up  questioningly  into  her  face. 

"  What  kind  of  visitors  do  you  receive  now- 
adays ?  "  he  said  pleasantly. 

"  I  ?  Visitors  ?  "  Frau  Leimann  retorted  with 
some  embarrassment.  "  I  have  received  no- 
body, —  truly  not,  nobody." 

And  while  she  said  it  her  eyes  wandered  about 
the  room  without  meeting  his. 

"  You  have  received  no  visitor?  Oh,  but 
that  is  a  big  fib!" 

"Why  should  you  say  so,  George;  who 
should  have  been  to  see  me  ?  " 

"  Well,    I   merely   thought  a   certain   Herr 
Krause  called  on  you." 
217 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

"  How  do  you  know  that?  "  she  cried,  startled 
by  his  knowledge. 

"  I  know  everything,  my  child ;  even  that  the 
bailiff  was  just  in  to  see  you." 

Frau  Leimann  was  covered  with  confusion, 
and  mechanically  began  to  fondle  the  seam  of 
her  little  silk  apron. 

"  Well,  if  you  know,  it  is  unnecessary  for  me 
to  tell  you.  Yes,  he  was  to  see  me." 

"And  what  did  he  want?" 

The  pretty  woman  told  him  the  details.  With 
a  tear-choked  voice  she  exclaimed: 

"  I  am  lost  if  my  husband  hears  of  it ! " 

"  But  I  don't  see.  If  he  has  bought  it  he 
must,  of  course,  pay  for  the  dress." 

"  He  knows  of  nothing.  I  had  to  have  the 
dress,  the  red  silk,  you  know.  I  told  him  at  that 
time  that  my  mother  had  sent  it ;  for  he  would 
have  refused  me,  and  I  had  to  have  it,  and  so  I 
took  it  on  my  own  account." 

"  That  was  very  stupid  of  you.  Where  will 
you  take  the  money  from  now  ?  " 

"  I  really  don't  know.    Cannot  you  help  me  ?  " 

"  I  will  go  to  those  people  and  ask  them  for 
time." 

218 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

"  There  would  be  no  use  in  doing  that, 
George;  I  must  have  the  cash.  I  need  at  least 
a  thousand  marks,  for  I  have  to  pay  for  other 
things  as  well  —  the  dressmaker,  the  hair- 
dresser, the  shoemaker,  etc.  Get  me  the  money, 
George,  and  show  me  that  you  really  love  me  as 
much  as  you  always  say  you  do." 

"  I  ?  "  Borgert  set  up  an  unpleasant  laugh. 
"  Good  heavens,  I  don't  know  myself  what  is 
to  become  of  me." 

"  How  so?    Are  you  in  debt  too?  " 

"  If  you  would  take  the  trouble  to  devote  some 
attention  to  that  big  sheet  of  paper  over  there 
on  my  desk,  you  might  be  able  to  tell.  That 
sort  of  thing  I  get  every  day." 

Frau  Leimann  stepped  up  to  the  desk,  un- 
folded the  big  sheet,  and  stared  with  wide-open 
eyes  at  the  formidable  columns. 

"  Why,  I  had  no  idea  of  this,  George !  What 
is  to  become  of  all  this?  You  were  my  only 
reliance,  and  now  I  am  entirely  undone." 

She  sank,  sobbing,  down  on  the  divan  and 
covered  her  face  with  both  hands. 

"  Don't  lose  courage  at  once,  you  little  goose ; 
you  won't  die  for  the  lack  of  these  few  hundred 
219 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

marks ! "  Borgert  consoled  her,  affectionately 
passing  his  hand  over  her  blonde  hair.  "  I  will 
see  what  can  be  done,  and  in  a  week's  time 
you  '11  have  your  thousand  marks." 

For  an  answer  she  put  her  arms  passionately 
around  Borgert's  neck,  and  thanked  him. 

"  I  knew  that  you  would  not  leave  me  in  the 
lurch,  thou  best  one !  " 

When  Leimann  returned  home  about  eight 
o'clock,  he  found  all  the  rooms  dark  and  .silent. 

To  his  question  about  his  wife  the  maid 
answered : 

"  The  gracious  lady  has  gone  out." 

"Whereto?" 

"  I  do  not  know,  Herr  First  Lieutenant ! " 

He  lit  a  lamp  and  then  went  to  the  letter-box 
to  ascertain  whether  anything  had  arrived  by 
the  evening  mail.  He  found  two  letters  with 
bills  inside,  amounting  to  over  six  hundred 
marks. 

He  did  a  little  grumbling  to  himself,  and  then 
locked  up  the  two  "  rags  "  in  his  desk. 

In  doing  so  he  noticed  a  large  yellow  envel- 
ope. Supposing  it  to  be  an  official  letter,  he 
220 


AN  AIRY  STRUCTURE 

seized  it,  intending  to  open  it.  But  he  found 
that  it  had  been  already  opened,  and  his  curiosity 
grew  as  he  drew  from  it  three  large  sheets. 

Without  at  first  catching  its  purport,  he  gazed 
at  the  clerical  handwriting  in  it,  and  then  he 
sat  down  at  the  table  and  read  the  whole  docu- 
ment from  beginning  to  end. 

Ah,  indeed,  his  wife  too?  Why,  that  was 
quite  a  charming  surprise!  If  her  funds  were 
running  so  low  as  to  oblige  her  to  contract  debts 
it  would  be  vain,  he  thought,  to  expect  any  help 
from  his  mother-in-law,  and  yet  he  had  always 
counted  on  her  as  a  last  resort.  In  a  rage  he 
flung  the  summons  and  the  legal  statement  into 
a  corner  and  went  up  and  down  in  the  room, 
musing  on  the  financial  embarrassment  of  his 
wife. 

Probably  Frau  Leimann  had  heard  the  steady 
tramp  of  his  feet  through  the  ceiling,  for  now 
she  entered  with  exuberant  excuses. 

"  My  dear  George,"  said  she,  breathlessly,  "  I 
had  a  pressing  engagement  with  my  dressmaker, 
and  I  ran  after  you  in  the  street.  I  saw  you 
passing  before  me,  but  I  could  not  catch  up  with 
you." 

221 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

"  What  did  you  have  to  do  with  your  dress- 
maker?" Leimann  confronted  her  furiously. 

"  What  else  should  I  have  had  to  do  there 
than  business  for  which  I  pay  her?  She  is 
making  a  riding-habit  for  me ! " 

"  You  had  better  first  pay  for  your  old  rubbish 
before  ordering  any  new  gear ! "  shouted  he. 

"  Why  this  tone  to  me?  And  who  tells  you 
that  I  do  not  pay  my  bills?  You  think,  I  sup- 
pose, that  I  'm  squandering  my  money  as  you 
are  squandering  yours." 

"  If  you  do  not  wish  me  to  see  what  the 
bailiff  brings  you,  you  had  better  not  leave  it 
directly  under  my  nose." 

His  wife  for  an  instant  did  not  quite  under- 
stand what  he  meant  by  that,  but  then  she  recol- 
lected that  she  had  left  the  summons  on  her 
husband's  desk. 

"  I  must  tell  you  very  emphatically,"  she  flared 
up  indignantly,  "  not  to  put  your  nose  into  my 
private  correspondence.  If  the  letter  was  lying 
open  on  the  table,  you  had  no  right  to  read  it. 
/  never  look  at  your  bills." 

"  Oh,  do  what  you  please;  but  I  must  request 
you  not  to  bring  the  bailiff  to  my  house." 

222 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

"  That  is  not  the  worst,  mon  cher,  that  may 
happen  to  you;  he  will  know  now  at  least  the 
way  here  when  he  '11  call  on  you  next." 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  you  impudent  woman,  or 
I  will  throw  you  into  the  street." 

"  Many  thanks  for  your  kind  offer,  but  I  'm 
going  of  my  own  accord." 

She  left  the  room,  went  into  her  bed-chamber, 
and  retired  to  rest. 

Meanwhile  on  the  floor  below  Borgert  was 
reading  a  book ;  but  his  thoughts  were  far  away. 
He  had  serious  forebodings  that  all  his  cred- 
itors, like  a  pack  of  hungry  wolfhounds,  were 
about  to  engage  in  a  joint  hunt  for  him,  or 
rather  for  the  money  that  he  did  n't  have.  He 
was  afraid  that  the  colonel  would  soon  demand 
the  immediate  payment  of  his  load  of  debts,  and 
that,  if  unable  to  comply  with  the  order,  resig- 
nation from  the  army  was  the  only  possible 
outcome.  And  what  should  he  do  then,  without 
a  penny,  without  any  useful  knowledge,  and 
with  many  luxurious  habits?  Something  must 
be  done,  he  made  up  his  mind,  and  he  was  going 
to  employ  the  next  day,  a  Sunday,  to  consider 
once  more  the  various  possibilities  of  raising 
223 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

a  large  sum,  no  matter  how,  to  discharge  all 
these  liabilities,  most  of  them  small  in  them- 
selves, but  in  their  totality  representing  quite 
a  fortune. 

Solaced  by  the  hope  that  after  all  some  mild 
hand  would  open  and  drop  into  his  lap  a  small 
mountain  of  gold,  he  fell  asleep;  the  book 
slipped  from  his  hands,  and  the  lamp  on  the 
night  table  went  out  after  midnight,  since  Bor- 
gert  had  forgotten  to  blow  it  out.  He  slept  rest- 
lessly, and  bad  dreams  pursued  him.  His  load 
of  debt  developed  into  a  nightmare  that  was 
pressing  on  his  chest  and  threatening  to  crush 
out  his  life. 

When  he  awoke  in  the  morning  it  was  past 
ten.  Borgert  began  to  rage.  Almost  half  the 
day  was  gone  now,  and  yet  he  had  meant  to 
do  so  much.  Had  this  ass  of  a  servant  again 
forgotten  to  wake  him?  With  that  his  head 
ached,  and  he  felt  nervous  and  out  of  sorts. 
Throwing  his  dressing-gown  loosely  about  him 
he  went  into  his  servant's  room  and  found  Rose 
laboriously  penning  a  letter.  When  his  master 
entered  the  poor  fellow  shot  out  of  the  seat  and 
stood  bolt  upright. 

224 


AN  AIRY   STRUCTURE 

"  Why  did  n't  you  wake  me,  you  beast?  "  he 
thundered  at  him. 

"  I  wakened  the  Herr  First  Lieutenant  at 
seven  o'clock,  but  the  Herr  First  Lieutenant 
wanted  to  continue  sleeping  and  said  I  need  not 
come  back  any  more  to  annoy  him." 

"  That 's  a  lie,  you  swine ;  I  will  teach  you  to 
do  as  you  are  told."  And  he  seized  a  leather 
belt  lying  on  the  fellow's  bed,  and  with  it  struck 
Rose  violently,  then  kicking  him,  and  letting 
the  belt  play  around  his  face  and  neck  until 
broad  livid  marks  began  to  show. 

Rose  preserved  his  military  attitude,  and 
stood  his  punishment  without  in  the  least  resist- 
ing. But  that  was  a  further  cause  of  anger  to 
Borgert,  and  the  latter  dropped  the  belt,  and 
with  his  fist  struck  the  man  several  hard  blows 
in  the  chest.  Then  he  took  the  man's  letter,  half 
finished  as  it  was,  crumpled  it  up  in  his  hand, 
and  threw  it  into  the  coal-scuttle. 

"  Step  upstairs  lively  and  tell  Herr  First 
Lieutenant  Leimann  that  I  want  to  speak  to  him. 
Tell  him  if  possible  to  step  in  here  for  half  an 
hour  before  he  goes  to  town." 

"  At  your  orders,  Herr  First  Lieutenant." 
»5  225 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

Borgert  stepped  back  to  his  chamber,  finished 
dressing,  and  then  went  into  the  adjoining 
room. 

Sure  enough,  there  stood  his  coffee,  but  cold 
as  ice.  In  that  case  Rose  must  have  been  before 
him  in  the  room.  Well,  a  drubbing  or  two 
would  do  the  fellow  no  harm.  That  was  good 
for  preserving  discipline  and  a  respect  for  his 
superiors,  even  if  now  and  then  it  should  be 
applied  not  exactly  at  the  right  moment. 

On  his  desk  were  lying  several  letters.  Three 
of  them  contained  bills,  and  the  fourth  was  from 
his  father.  The  three  he  threw  unopened  into 
the  fire,  and  the  fourth  he  read  as  follows: 

MY  DEAR  SON,  —  With  growing  concern  I  have  seen 
from  your  last  letter  that  you  had  again  to  incur  large 
expenditures  which  harass  you  because  you  had  not 
counted  on  them.  Much  as  my  desire  would  be  to  let 
you  have  the  money  you  ask,  with  the  best  intentions 
it  is  not  possible  to  do  so.  You  know  best  how  closely 
I  have  to  economize  to  make  both  ends  meet.  If 
seventy-five  marks  would  be  any  object  to  you,  I  could 
let  you  have  them,  although  I  had  promised  your 
mother  this  money  for  a  new  dress  of  which  she  stands 
in  much  need. 

But  I  must  frankly  confess  to  you  that  I  do  not  see 
226 


AN  AIRY   STRUCTURE 

why  you  should  not  be  able  to  meet  all  your  legitimate 
expenses  with  your  pay  and  the  two  hundred  marks 
allowance  per  month.  At  your  age  I  did  not  have 
more  than  that  myself,  and  yet  I  was  able  to  under- 
take an  extended  trip  every  year.  I  give  you  the  well- 
meant  advice  to  live  for  a  time  a  little  more  apart 
from  your  comrades,  in  order  to  reduce  your  expenses. 
Employ  yourself  diligently  at  home  —  there  is  so  much 
to  learn  in  your  profession  nowadays  —  and  avoid  care- 
fully every  opportunity  which  would  force  you  into 
needless  outlay  which  you  would  subsequently  not  be 
able  to  meet.  Make  your  scale  of  living  correspond  to 
your  income.  If  you  will  openly  declare  that  this  or 
that  is  too  costly  for  you,  every  one  will  respect  you  the 
more,  for  they  will  see  that  you  are  not  spending  beyond 
your  proper  income.  Do  not  live  carelessly,  and  shun 
those  amusements  which  you  cannot  afford.  After  all, 
it  is  both  sensible  and  high-minded  to  live  within  one's 
means. 

Write  to  me  soon  how  you  have  regulated  this  affair 
and  whether  the  small  sum  I  can  offer  you  will  be  of 
advantage  to  you. 

In   the   hope   that   no   inconvenience  of  a  serious 
character  will  grow  out  of  your  present  embarrassment, 
I  remain, 

Your  affectionate 

OLD  FATHER. 

When    Borgert    had    read    these    lines,    he 
crushed  the  paper  within  his  palm  and  then 
227 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

cast  it  likewise  into  the  stove.    With  a  sigh  he 
sank  into  a  chair  and  began  to  ruminate. 

At  this  moment  his  servant  entered  and  an- 
nounced Leimann. 

Borgert  went  to  the  door  to  meet  his  friend, 
and  when  they  had  stepped  into  his  study,  Lei- 
mann asked  with  considerable  anxiety: 

"  Well,  what  important  matter  is  it  you  have 
for  me  this  morning?" 

Borgert  planted  himself  squarely  on  his  legs  in 
front  of  the  other  and  said  with  assumed  gaiety : 

"  You  see,  my  dear  fellow,  we  all  have  our 
troubles.  I  have  just  about  reached  the  end  of 
my  tether  and  should  like  to  appoint  you  re- 
ceiver of  my  assets." 

"  The  end  of  your  tether  ?  "  retorted  Leimann 
with  agitation.  "  What  do  you  mean  by  that  ? 
Do  you  mean  in  money  matters?  " 

"  You  have  guessed  it.  I  must  have  money 
right  now,  a  whole  bagful  of  it,  or  else  I  'm 
done  for." 

"  Is  it  as  bad  as  all  that  ?  Have  new  com- 
plications arisen?  Why,  you  told  me  the  last 
time  that  you  were  out  of  your  troubles  just 
now." 

228 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

"  Yes,  I  did ;  but  yesterday  I  made  some- 
thing of  an  investigation,  and  I  found  that  there 
is  no  other  way  out  my  difficulties  than  by 
means  of  a  gigantic  loan.  I  should  like,  there- 
fore, to  speak  openly  to  you  about  the  matter, 
for  I  'm  in  hopes  that  there  must  be  still  ways 
and  means  to  keep  me  above  water." 

Leimann  lowered  his  eyes,  looked  fixedly  at 
the  pattern  of  the  Turkish  rug,  and  rubbed  re- 
flectively his  unshaven  chin.  Then  he  replied 
with  a  shrug: 

"How  much  is  it?" 

"Twelve  thousand  marks  I  must  have,  and  not 
a  penny  less,  for  I  '11  have  to  make  a  clear  track. 
I  'm  about  badgered  to  death  by  these  unceasing 
dunning  letters  and  complaints  in  the  courts." 

"  Hm,  and  how  did  you  think  you  were  going 
to  manage  this  matter  ?  " 

"  I  have  some  more  addresses  of  financial 
men,  usurers,  you  know.  If  I  could  get  you 
once  more  to  go  security  for  me,  I  think  we 
ought  to  be  able  to  attain  our  end." 

"  Security  ?  Security  ?  Yes,  it  is  easy  for 
you  to  talk  that  way,  my  dear  boy;  but  finally 
there  must  be  something  in  the  background  in 
229 


order  to  assume  responsibility  for  another's 
debts.  I  must  tell  you  frankly  that  if  you 
can't  meet  this  payment  of  three  thousand 
marks  of  last  month,  there  will  be  the  devil 
to  pay  for  me,  since  I  went  bail  for  you." 

"  I  do  not  think  there  is  any  need  of  your 
being  so  explicit;  as  a  matter  of  course,  I  shall 
meet  my  obligations." 

"  I  don't  doubt  it  in  the  least ;  but  for  me  it 
is  indeed  impossible  to  become  security  for  you 
once  more.  Not  only  that,  but  I  have  to  ask 
you  to  let  me  have  some  money,  for  I  really  do 
need  some  very  badly." 

"  With  the  greatest  of  pleasure,"  said  Bor- 
gert  with  a  sinister  smile ;  "  but  why  don't 
you  raise  money  on  your  '  commiss-fortune  '  ?  * 
That,  it  strikes  me,  would  be  the  surest  way  of 
obtaining  it." 

"My  'commiss-fortune'?  Very  well  put; 
but  I  'd  have  to  have  one  in  order  to  raise 
money  on  it." 

"  What  have  you  been  marrying  on,  then  ?  " 
asked  Borgert  in  amazement. 

1  "  Commiss-fortune  "  —  the  term  applied  to  the  dowry  of  an 
officer's  wife,  which  must  reach  a  certain  figure.  —  TR. 
230 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

"  I  only  had  it  four  weeks  in  my  hands,  when 
it  was  returned  to  the  party  who  had  lent  it  for 
a  consideration  until  I  had  obtained  the  official 
consent." 

Borgert  looked  in  consternation  at  his  friend 
and  then  began  to  measure  the  room  in  nervous 
excitement. 

"  In  that  case,"  he  began,  after  making  sev- 
eral turns  of  the  room,  "  I  will  make  another 
proposition:  I  become  surety  for  you,  and  you 
for  me." 

"Good,"  cried  Leimann,  joyfully;  "but  it  is 
a  somewhat  ticklish  business,  for  some  time  or 
other  there  is  bound  to  come  a  crash,  and  then 
if  neither  of  us  has  a  penny  there  will  be  the 
deuce  and  all." 

"  That  catastrophe  will  not  happen,  my  most 
beloved  friend,  because  if  I  can  pull  through 
once  more  there  will  be  nothing  to  fear  for  me. 
I  shall  marry." 

"  By  the  eternal  gods,  but  you  have  amazing 
courage!  Only  let  me  tell  you,  be  careful  in 
the  choice  of  your  father-in-law,  otherwise  it 
is  a  worse  than  useless  arrangement.  I  myself 
can  speak  from  experience." 
231 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

"  That  is  a  matter  of  course ;  I  shan't  marry 
on  empty  promises.  For  less  than  half  a  mil- 
lion they  cannot  do  business  with  me." 

"  Well,  I  wish  you  luck ;  but,  come  to  think 
of  it,  how  is  it  about  Konig?  Couldn't  he 
be  induced  to  come  out  with  a  few  thousand 
marks  ?  " 

"  I  've  thought  of  him,  but  it  seems  to  me 
doubtful  whether  he  can  be  got  at.  For,  first 
of  all,  we  would  have  to  pay  him  the  old 
score." 

"All  right;  but  we  might  make  at  least  an 
attempt.  He  can't  say  more  than  *  no/  and  I 
shall  sit  down  at  once  and  write  a  few  lines 
to  him." 

Leimann  took  a  chair  at  the  desk  and  a  sheet 
of  letter-paper  from  one  of  the  drawers. 

Borgert  sat  down  quietly  in  a  corner,  lit  a 
cigarette,  and  blew  its  smoke  into  the  slant- 
ing triangle  of  floating  particles  of  dust 
which  was  formed  by  a  ray  of  sunlight  pene- 
trating his  window.  The  bluish  wreaths  of 
smoke  formed  fantastic  bands,  weaving  and 
interweaving. 

Now  at  last  the  letter  was  ended,  and  Lei- 
232 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

mann  closed  it,  wrote  the  address  on  the  out- 
side, and  Rose  was  told  to  take  it  immediately 
to  its  destination. 

"  That  will  pull  his  leg,  I  think,  if  anything 
will ! "  said  Leimann,  with  a  satisfied  air,  as  he 
arose  from  his  chair. 

"What  have  you  written  him?"  asked  Bor- 
gert  with  some  curiosity. 

"  Simply  this,  —  that  I  needed  money  for  a 
comrade  and  appealed  therefore  to  his  generous 
sentiments  of  friendship  which  he  had  so  often 
proved.  As  a  term  for  repayment  I  have  indi- 
cated three  months  hence,  and  have  pledged  my 
word  for  the  punctual  refunding  of  the  money ; 
for  you  told  me,  you  know,  that  you  would 
have  it  here  by  that  time." 

"  Most  assuredly  I  can.  If  the  fellow  will 
only  give  us  the  money  now,  everything  else 
will  be  attended  to  at  its  proper  time." 

Thus  they  chatted  on  for  another  half  hour, 
when  Rose  returned  with  his  answer  from  Cap- 
tain Konig. 

Leimann  quickly  grasped  the  letter,  but  then 
he  hesitated  before  opening  it.  Undecided,  he 
scanned  the  address  and  looked  questioningly 

233 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

at  Borgert,  who  was  still  comfortably  seated  in 
his  chair. 

At  last,  however,  impatience  mastered  him, 
and  Leimann  tore  open  the  envelope  and  un- 
folded the  letter. 

With  consternation  he  read  again  and  again. 
Borgert  saw  from  the  face  of  his  friend,  who 
with  eyebrows  lifted  and  hands  trembling  with 
nervous  excitement  stood  there  a  picture  of 
disappointment,  that  Konig's  answer  had  not 
brought  joyful  news.  But  he  was  more  quiet 
and  felt  less  disappointment  than  Leimann, 
although  the  whole  matter  concerned  in  the 
first  place  rather  him  than  the  latter.  It  was 
no  longer  new  to  him  to  receive  denials  to  his 
letters  requesting  loans. 

His  face,  though,  assumed  a  wrathful  expres- 
sion when  Leimann  handed  him  silently  Konig's 
response,  and  he  began  to  read  it.  In  his  letter 
the  captain  said : 

"  I  earnestly  regret  that  I  'm  not  able  to  comply 
with  your  wishes.  On  the  one  hand  considerations  for 
my  family  restrain  me,  for  sums  of  such  magnitude  I 
could  only  advance  if  perfect  security  for  their  repay- 
ment were  offered.  But  the  only  pledge  you  offer  me 
234 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

for  punctual  return  of  the  money  is  your  word  of 
honor,  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  I  cannot  look  upon  that 
as  such  an  absolute  security,  since  you  as  well  as  First 
Lieutenant  Borgert  have  not  yet  refunded  the  divers 
amounts  which  I  loaned  you  months  ago,  although  you 
at  the  time  passed  your  word  to  me  to  see  that  the 
debt  was  paid  promptly  within  ten  days.  Besides,  it 
seems  to  me,  that  your  financial  condition,  as  far  as  I 
understand  it,  is  not  of  a  description  to  guarantee  the 
keeping  of  a  promise  of  that  kind  made  to  me." 

Borgert  rose  from  his  chair  and  flung  the 
letter  aside  in  a  rage.  Then  he  stepped  to  the 
window  and  looked  down  into  the  street. 

Neither  of  the  two  spoke  a  word ;  but  as  their 
glances  met,  Leimann  remarked : 

"  Well,  what  do  you  say  to  this?" 

"  A  piece  of  insolence,  a  vulgar  bit  of  pre- 
sumption it  is  on  his  part ! "  Borgert  broke  out. 
"  How  the  devil  does  this  fellow  dare,  anyway, 
to  concern  himself  with  our  private  affairs? 
It  would  have  been  merely  an  unfriendly  act 
and  would  have  shown  a  deficient  spirit  of  com- 
radeship to  send  us  a  reply  refusing  our  re- 
quest, but  to  do  so  in  this  offensive  manner! 
We  cannot  quietly  submit  to  this." 

"  But  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?" 

235 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

retorted  Leimann  with  a  shrug.  "If  you  openly 
take  a  stand  against  him,  he  has  us  by  the  throat 
if  he  merely  states  that  we  did  not  keep  our 
pledged  word,  and  we  could  not  dispute  that, 
for  he  can  show  it  in  black  and  white.  There- 
fore it  will  be  best  for  us  to  pocket  his  rude- 
ness and  to  cut  the  fellow;  he  will  not  fail  to 
notice  that." 

"  Apparently  he  has  entirely  forgotten  that  it 
would  be  an  easy  matter  for  us  to  break  his 
neck.  Did  he  not  say  himself  at  the  time  that 
he  was  going  to  take  the  amount  in  question 
from  the  squadron  fund?  I  think  we  could 
make  it  very  unpleasant  for  him  if  we  were  to 
use  this  fact  against  him." 

"  True,"  said  Leimann,  "  but  you  could  not 
in  decency  bring  up  the  matter,  since  his  touch- 
ing those  funds  was  done  in  our  interest." 

"  I  don't  care.  If  he  at  present  takes  the 
liberty  to  throw  impudent  remarks  in  our  faces, 
I  will  certainly  show  him  that  I  'm  in  a  condi- 
tion to  pay  him  back  in  the  same  coin." 

"  But  you  cannot  possibly  sign  a  formal  accu- 
sation stating  that  Konig  had  lent  you  money 
obtained  from  the  squadron  fund.  Do  you  not 
236 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

see  that  that  would  throw  a  curious  light  upon 
yourself?" 

"  Oh,  I  would  n't  be  so  clumsy  as  to  do  that. 
There  are  other  ways  in  which  the  trick  could 
be  done,  and  I  shall  manage  to  let  nobody  sus- 
pect me  as  the  author  of  the  tale.  But  he  will 
have  to  pay  for  this,  you  can  take  my  word  for 
that.  D the  ugly  face  of  him,  anyway !  " 

Both  became  silent  once  more,  9nd  a  few 
minutes  later  Leimann  took  his  leave,  since  he 
had  to  attend  to  several  minor  engagements  in 
town  before  the  dinner  hour. 

Nor  did  Borgert  remain  much  longer  at 
home.  He  went  to  the  Casino  and  drowned 
his  bad  humor  in  a  bottle  of  Heidsieck. 

When  Borgert  awoke,  a  couple  of  days  later, 
from  a  night's  troubled  sleep,  he  noticed  with 
concern  that  he  had  overslept  himself  and  missed 
his  earlier  duties.  He  rang  the  bell  for  his  ser- 
vant, but  Rose  did  not  appear,  not  even  on  a 
second  summons. 

Borgert  dressed  and  went  to  Rose's  room. 
He  found  it  unoccupied.  The  bed  was  un- 
touched, and  on  top  of  it  lay  the  uniform  and 
the  cap  of  the  man. 

237 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

With  astonishment  the  officer  looked  about 
him ;  the  sticky,  unventilated  atmosphere  of  the 
little  chamber,  and  a  strong  odor  of  soiled  linen 
and  worn-out  clothes,  was  all  that  he  noticed. 
Where  could  Rose  have  gone  so  early  in  the 
day,  and  that,  too,  without  leave,  even  without 
a  word  to  him?  Had  he  been  summoned  to 
some  unexpected  duty?  But  no,  that  was  im- 
possible, for  here  lay  his  regimentals. 

Borgert  had  already  crossed  over  to  the 
threshold  to  leave  the  room  again  when  his 
eye  lighted  on  a  much-stained  slip  of  paper  on 
the  table.  He  picked  it  up  and  his  face  paled 
while  he  read,  for  in  the  man's  scrawling  hand- 
writing there  were  the  words : 

"  Farewell !    and  go  to  the  devil !  " 

As  if  petrified,  Borgert  stared  at  the  paper. 
The  fellow,  then,  had  deserted! 

About  his  reasons  for  the  step  Borgert  was 
not  in  doubt  a  minute,  and  a  sudden  feeling  of 
shame  and  disquiet  seized  him  at  the  thought 
that  the  man  might  be  apprehended.  In  that 
case  everything  would  come  to  light:  the  bad 
usage  to  which  he  had  been  subjected,  the  mal- 
treatment which  he  had  met  at  his  hands,  and, 
238 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

worst  of  all,  all  those  big  or  little  secrets  of 
which  he  had  become  aware  during  his  service 
with  his  master. 

Too  unpleasant!  Borgert  stepped  again  over 
to  his  room  and  sat  down  on  the  edge  of  the 
bed.  His  face  was  not  pleasant  to  look  at,  and 
a  nervous  twitching  of  his  features  showed  how 
much  he  dreaded  an  unlucky  turn  of  affairs  in 
case  the  fugitive  should  be  caught  and  then  blab 
out  all  he  knew. 

It  seemed  to  him  as  if  of  late  there  was  a 
perfect  conspiracy  against  him.  Anxiety,  ill 
luck,  and  disappointment  on  every  side,  with 
not  a  single  silver  lining  to  the  cloud,  which, 
black  and  ominous,  had  suddenly  begun  to 
crowd  his  horizon. 

For  the  first  time  the  awful  certainty  flashed 
through  his  mind  that  he  stood  at  the  brink  of 
a  catastrophe  against  which  there  was  no  remedy 
unless  a  miracle  intervened.  But  where  under 
the  sun  should  such  a  miracle  come  from?  All 
faith,  all  hope,  dissolved  before  his  view  in  these 
few  moments  when  the  whole  crushing  weight 
of  his  guilt,  the  whole  labyrinth  of  his  failure 
in  life,  came  clearly  to  his  consciousness.  An 
239 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

unreasoning  terror,  a  fear  of  himself  and  a  feel- 
ing of  helplessness  conquered  the  man,  who  at 
other  times  had  never  surrendered  to  untoward 
conditions,  who  had  never  hesitated  to  stamp 
down  all  obstacles  in  his  path.  Borgert  was  not 
capable  of  deep  feeling  or  of  noble  sentiment; 
he  had  so  far  trodden  the  path  of  life  with  cold 
egotism,  coupled  with  a  superficial  view  of  his 
surroundings  and  a  lack  of  clearer  insight  into 
the  motives  impelling  him  and  others. 

For  some  time  he  sat  there,  pallid,  motionless, 
gazing  into  the  vast  blank  space  of  the  unknown 
future ;  only  the  convulsive  workings  of  his  face 
betrayed  the  intense  agitation  of  his  mind.  It 
was  the  psychological  crisis  in  the  life  of  a  man 
who  too  late  becomes  aware  of  having  destroyed 
his  better  self,  of  having  annihilated  all  those 
hopes  which  on  entering  life  had  floated  before 
his  vision  in  roseate  hue.  And  there  was  noth- 
ing to  which  he  could  cling,  not  even  a  straw  for 
this  man  battling  with  the  waves  that  threatened 
to  engulf  him,  no  human  soul  that  could  or 
would  help  him.  Despair  clutched  his  throat, 
and  his  breath  came  thick  and  short  like  that 
of  one  drowning. 

240 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

Borgert  had  struck  a  balance  with  himself. 
He  had  taken  stock,  and  now  felt  clearly  that 
his  life  was  one  not  only  marred  but  destroyed 
by  his  own  fault.  He  made  up  his  mind  to 
bear  the  consequences  since  escape  there  was 
none. 

Mechanically  he  completed  his  toilet  and  then 
went  to  the  barracks  to  report  himself  to  the 
captain  for  having  missed  the  morning  service. 
He  kept  silence  about  Rose's  flight,  saying  to 
himself  that  if  the  deserter  had  the  start  of 
pursuit  by  a  sufficiency  of  time,  say  forty-eight 
hours,  he  would  be  a  bigger  fool  indeed  than 
Borgert  took  him  to  be  if  he  had  not  reached 
a  safe  retreat  across  the  frontier.  And  that, 
of  course,  would  spare  Borgert  himself  the 
unpleasant  predicament  of  facing  a  court-mar- 
tial because  of  systematic  maltreatment  of  a 
subordinate. 

When  he  returned  home  at  noon,  Borgert 
found  a  letter.  It  was  the  reply  of  the  financial 
man  in  Berlin  to  whom,  in  his  quandary,  he 
had  turned.  The  letter  told  the  recipient  in 
curt  terms  that  his  application  had  been  re- 
jected. No  loan  could  be  made  to  him,  it  said, 
16  241 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

since  inquiries  about  Borgert  and  his  co-called 
bondsmen,  and  the  endorsement  of  Leimann, 
had  "  demonstrated  a  financial  status  highly 
unfavorable." 

Borgert  received  this  news  almost  with  in- 
difference, for  since  this  morning  he  had  aban- 
doned all  hope  of  a  favorable  turn,  and  hence 
felt  no  disappointment. 

He  knew  he  could  obtain  no  money  anywhere 
after  this.  In  fact,  now  that  he  clearly  envis- 
aged things,  it  seemed  astonishing  that  the 
bubble  had  not  burst  long  ere  this.  It  had  been 
solely  due,  as  he  now  felt,  to  Leimann' s  extraor- 
dinary skill  in  hiding  his  own  pecuniary  embar- 
rassments that  Borgert  himself  had  been  able 
to  run  up  large  accounts  without  any  tangible 
security  whatever.  For  Leimann,  he  remem- 
bered, had  backed  him  up  throughout. 

Dazed  and  spent,  Borgert  lay  down  on  his 
divan. 

He  did  not  wish  to  go  to  the  Casino,  for  he 
felt  no  appetite,  and  he  was  not  in  the  mood  to 
play  his  accustomed  pranks  and  capers  for  the 
delectation  of  his  comrades.  He  did  not  want 
to  see  or  hear  of  anybody.  He  wanted  to  be 
242 


AN  AIRY  STRUCTURE 

all  by  himself  and  indulge  in  his  morose  re- 
flections. His  eye  wandered  around  the  elegant 
appointments  of  his  dwelling.  These  fine  paint- 
ings on  his  walls;  this  handsome  and  costly 
furniture,  most  of  it  carved  in  solid  oak;  the 
soft  Oriental  rugs  underfoot  which  deadened 
every  sound  and  made  his  bachelor  home  so 
comfortable  and  cosy;  those  heavy,  discreet 
hangings  of  finest  velvet  which  shut  out  the 
intrusive  light  and  kept  his  apartments  in  that 
epicurean  chiaroscuro  which  his  sybarite  taste 
demanded  —  what  a  pity,  what  an  infernal 
shame,  to  have  to  surrender  into  the  hands  of 
these  vermin  of  usurers  all  these  trappings  of 
his  bachelor  freedom!  Of  course,  they  would 
struggle  and  fight  for  it  all,  and  each  one  of 
them  would  scramble  to  be  the  first  to  assert  and 
enforce  his  rights.  Rather  amusing  it  would  be, 
he  thought,  but  alas!  he  himself  would  not  be 
able  to  view  the  scene. 

There  was  no  help  for  it.  Within  a  few 
days  the  crash  must  come;  he  could  see  no 
escape. 

But  what  was  to  become  of  himself  ?  He  had 
never  seriously  thought  of  that  before.  Should 

243 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

he  allow  himself  to  be  simply  thrown  into  the 
street?  Perhaps,  after  all,  they  would  even  put 
him  in  quod?  Time  pressed,  and  a  decision 
must  be  reached  quickly  —  at  once. 

Really,  on  sober  reflection,  he  could  not  very 
well  see  why  he  should  remain  any  longer  in 
this  vale  of  tears  after  all  his  glory  and  his 
pleasures  would  be  gone.  To  learn  anew,  after 
losing  all  caste,  after  dismissal  from  the  army 
in  disgrace  and  dishonor,  to  learn  a  bread-win- 
ning calling  and  to  have  to  work  like  everybody 
in  that  despised  throng  of  perspiring,  vulgar 
toilers  —  surely,  that  was  not  at  all  to  his  taste. 
From  infancy  up  he  had  been  reared  in  disdain 
of  labor  —  had  acquired,  one  by  one,  tastes  and 
habits  of  thought  that  seemed  irreconcilable  with 
a  life  of  sober,  plain  living  and  thinking,  with 
a  life  where  his  part  would  be  that  of  a  subor- 
dinate. It  seemed  an  impossible  thing  to  him. 
Dimly  he  felt  that  to  do  so  would  require  energy, 
self-denial,  and  diligence,  and  of  all  these  he 
possessed  not  a  trace.  Should  he  then  make 
an  end  of  it,  put  a  bullet  in  his  brain? 

But  no,  that  was  absurd,  and,  besides,  that 
required  courage.  And  courage,  in  its  best 
244 


AN  AIRY  STRUCTURE 

sense,  he  had  never  had.  He  had  only  shown 
courage,  or  the  semblance  of  it  —  a  certain  dash 
—  the  kind  which  in  the  army  is  known  as 
"  Schneid." 

But  here,  when  facing  the  final  realities  of 
life,  his  courage  entirely  deserted  him.  And 
was  it  not  possible,  after  all,  that  luck  would 
come  to  his  aid  in  this  dire  extremity?  He  had 
only  the  one  life,  and  once  thrown  away  the 
loss  was  irremediable.  Suicide  therefore  would 
be  rash  and  stupid  —  folly  never  to  be  redeemed. 
Life  might  smile  on  him  again,  and  should  he 
then  with  his  own  hand  cut  it  off?  No,  on  no 
account. 

But  no  rescuing  thought  would  occur  to  him, 
cudgel  his  brain  as  he  might.  And  torturing, 
self-abasing  reflections  crowded  again  into  his 
brain. 

The  thought  of  his  servant,  of  poor  Rose, 
curiously  enough,  was  uppermost.  Had  not 
Rose,  dolt  that  he  was,  cunningly  managed  to 
disappear  from  a  scene  which  was,  in  a  certain 
sense,  as  unbearable  as  his  master's  at  this  junc- 
ture? And  Rose  by  now  was  perhaps  seated 
comfortably  in  a  quiet  corner  where  nobody 

245 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

was  looking  for  him,  and  where  it  was  possible 
to  live  without  interference. 

Could  he  himself,  then,  not  do  the  same 
thing? 

And  this  shadowy  thought  began  to  take  solid 
form  the  more  Borgert  dwelt  on  it.  It  seemed 
to  him  the  only  egress  from  the  situation. 

In  new  surroundings,  in  another  country, 
amongst  people  who  did  not  know  him,  he 
might  begin  life  afresh,  and  soon  grass  would 
grow  over  the  short-lived  sensation  which  his 
disappearance  would  create  in  this  world-forgot- 
ten little  hole  of  a  town !  Within  a  twelve- 
month his  very  name  perhaps  would  be  no 
longer  on  anybody's  lips  in  this  place.  And  even 
if  in  times  to  come  this  or  that  one  of  his  com- 
rades should  mention  his  name,  it  would  be  with 
the  thought  that  such  a  man  had  existed  at 
some  time  or  other,  and  that  nobody  to-day 
cared  about  him  any  more. 

He  was  so  lost  in  his  dreary  thoughts  that 
he  did  not  observe  the  door  opening  and  giving 
admittance  to  Frau  Leimann. 

She  looked  pale  and  serious.     Her  face,  so 
pleasant  in  its  youthful,  placid  beauty  at  other 
246 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

times,  now  appeared  aged,  and  her  eyes  wore 
an  anxious  expression. 

Borgert  did  not  rise,  but  contented  himself 
with  nodding  to  her,  saying  never  a  word.  His 
glance  enveloped  this  woman,  an  intrigue  with 
whom  had  seemed  to  him  but  a  short  while 
ago  an  ambition  worthy  of  his  talents. 

But  to-day  she  appeared  to  him  no  longer 
so  desirable;  her  motions  seemed  to  him  with- 
out grace  or  distinction,  and  her  charms 
mediocre. 

Her  hair  was  arranged  in  negligent  fashion, 
and  the  soft  folds  of  her  morning  gown  to-day 
seemed  to  enwrap  another  woman  and  not  the 
one  whose  beauty  had  intoxicated  him. 

Two  impressions  stood  out  clearly  in  his 
mind :  the  woman  as  she  now  faced  him,  and 
as  she  had  appeared  to  him  on  a  memorable 
evening. 

But  Frau  Leimann  was  so  preoccupied  her- 
self that  the  unflattering  and  searching  look  of 
Borgert  escaped  her.  She  sat  down  on  the 
divan  beside  him  and  took  his  hand  in  hers. 
Her  eyes  gazed  with  diffidence  at  the  face  of 
the  man. 

247 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

"You  are  ill,  George?"  asked  she  with 
anxiety. 

~He  contented  himself  for  all  answer  with  a 
shake  of  his  head. 

"  But  tell  me,  speak  to  me.    What  ails  you?  " 

"  Why,  it  is  nothing  and  it  is  everything," 
Borgert  answered  with  indifference. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that,  George?  Talk 
sensibly,  please." 

"What  am  I  to  say?  I  am  done  with  the 
whole  business.  That  is  all." 

"Done!  Done  with  what?  How  am  I  to 
understand  you  ?  " 

"  Done  with  everything,  —  with  life  and  with 
myself." 

"  You  talk  like  a  sphinx,  George.  Why  not 
tell  me  frankly  what  has  happened  to  you?" 

"  My  money  is  gone.  "  I  '11  have  to  run  away, 
or  else  there  will  be  the  deuce  to  pay." 

Borgert  felt  a  tremor  run  through  her  body. 
She  did  not  reply,  but  turned  her  face  slowly 
away  from  him  and  stared  at  the  window. 

In  his  heart  Borgert  was  thankful  to  her  for 
receiving  his  communication  with  such  compo- 
sure, and  not  with  the  screams  and  hysterical 
248 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

sobbings  which  women  habitually  employ  on 
occasions  of  the  kind. 

And  as  he  regarded  attentively  her  pale  pro- 
file, clear-cut  against  the  light,  and  saw  a  tear 
glistening  in  her  eye,  a  passionate  emotion, 
largely  pity  for  this  suffering  creature  by  his 
side,  so  pathetic  in  her  dumb  resignation,  took 
hold  of  him,  and  he  drew  her  into  his  arms. 

Then  she  murmured : 

"  Take  me  along,  George !  " 

In  amazement  Borgert  stared  at  her. 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  how  did  you  get  such 
thoughts  ?  How  can  I  do  that  ?  " 

"  Oh,  George,  you  do  not  know.  I  cannot 
bear  my  life  here  any  longer.  Let  me  go  with 
you,  I  beseech  you." 

"  But  that  is  not  to  be  dreamt  of.  Will  there 
not  be  scandal  enough  when  I  disappear?  And 
then  take  you  along?  Impossible." 

"  In  that  case  I  shall  go  alone.  I  must  leave 
here  —  I  must." 

"  But  why  all  this  so  suddenly  ?  What  has 
come  to  you  ?  " 

Frau  Leimann  gave  vent  to  her  suppressed 
feelings  by  a  violent  fit  of  sobbing.  "  My  hus- 
249 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

band  has  beaten  me  with  his  clenched  fist  — 
see,  here  are  the  marks !  —  because  the  bailiff 
had  called  on  me.  His  treatment  of  me  has 
become  worse  and  worse  of  late,  and  now  my 
hatred,  my  dislike  of  him  has  reached  a  point 
where  I  can  no  longer  see  him  around  me, 
breathe  the  same  air  he  breathes;  and  then, 

—  another    thing,"    and    here    she   broke    into 
weeping  again,  "  I  have  no  money  —  there  is 
nothing  with  which  I  can  pay  my  debts ;   some- 
thing —  some    great    misfortune   will   come  — 
I  'm  sure  of  it,  George,  if  I  do  not  leave  him 
peaceably." 

Borgert  had  great  pains  to  quiet  the  excited 
woman. 

He  reflected.  After  all,  her  idea  was  not 
such  a  bad  one.  If  she  really  had  made  up  her 
mind  fully  to  leave  her  husband,  she  might  as 
well  go  with  him;  for  in  that  case  he  would 
at  least  have  somebody  by  his  side  to  whom  he 
could  speak,  to  whom  he  could  open  his  heart, 

—  somebody  who  would  be  in  the  same  situa- 
tion as  himself.    And  when  Frau  Leimann  once 
more   implored  him  with  a  tearful  voice,   he 
whispered : 

250 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

"  Then  come  with  me.  We  shall  leave  to- 
morrow night." 

They  began  to  make  plans,  and  he  said: 

"  Let  us  talk  this  matter  over  sensibly.  First, 
how  will  you  get  away  from  here  without  being 
observed  by  your  husband  ?  " 

"  He  is  leaving  for  Berlin  to-morrow  morn- 
ing. He  has  official  matters  to  attend  to  there. 
Has  he  not  yet  told  you  about  it?  " 

"  No ;  but  this  is  excellent.  And  now,  have 
you  some  money?" 

"  Yes ;  I  received  this  morning  three  hundred 
marks  from  my  mother,  and  I  have  not  touched 
the  money  because  I  had  resolved  on  this  step." 

"  Then  you  are  better  off  than  I  am,  at  least 
for  the  moment;  but  I  shall  raise  some  money. 
And  third,  how  will  you  get  your  luggage  to 
the  station?  for,  of  course,  I  cannot  expect  you 
to  run  away  without  some  clothes." 

"  Very  simply,  George ;  just  ask  my  husband 
to  lend  you  his  big  trunk,  and  tell  him  you  are 
obliged  to  go  home  on  a  short  leave.  I  will  pack 
all  my  things  into  that,  and  the  orderly  will 
bring  it  down  to  you  here.  The  trunk  is  big 
enough  to  hold  enough  for  us  both." 

251 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

"  There  it  is  again,"  laughingly  said  Borgert. 
"  Women  are  best  for  all  underhanded  work." 

"  And  by  which  train  shall  we  leave  ?  " 

"  You  will  go  by  the  afternoon  train,  for  we 
will  not  leave  together;  that  would  attract  too 
much  attention.  I  shall  follow  you  on  the  even- 
ing train.  I  think  it  will  be  best  to  meet  in 
Frankfort.  We  will  meet  in  the  waiting-room 
of  the  main  station,  and  there  we  can  talk  over 
everything  in  quiet.  I  shall  take  a  three  days' 
leave,  so  that  they  will  not  follow  me  at  once." 

"  Then  we  are  agreed  so  far.  I  will  come 
down  here  to-morrow  forenoon,  as  soon  as  my 
husband  has  left,  and  then  we  can  talk  this 
matter  over  a  little  more  in  detail.  Just  now 
I  '11  have  to  leave  you." 

Frau  Leimann  turned  towards  the  door. 
When  she  sent  a  parting  nod  from  the  thresh- 
old, she  seemed  once  more  enticing  in  his  eyes. 
The  heated  face  was  animated,  and  the  glowing 
eyes  radiated  life.  Truly,  she  was  charming. 
Borgert  lost  himself  in  pleasant  speculations 
about  the  honeyed  existence  which  they  two 
were  to  lead  hereafter,  once  that  inconvenient 
husband  was  out  of  the  way,  and  all  scruples 
252 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

which  still  clung  to  them,  as  the  last  vestiges 
of  respectability,  had  been  thrown  overboard. 

Borgert  had  regained  all  his  good  humor ;  he 
felt  almost  buoyant,  and  as  if  he  could  dare 
undertake  anything.  There  was  another  con- 
sideration with  him.  His  flight,  his  desertion, 
his  leaving  his  creditors  unsatisfied,  and  a 
record  of  somewhat  crooked  financial  transac- 
tions behind  him,  —  all  that  would  now  be  re- 
garded by  people  in  a  wholly  different  light. 
The  romantic  element  would  predominate  in 
the  minds  of  all  the  gossips.  They  would  say 
that  these  two  had  fled,  because  of  an  overmas- 
tering passion,  —  to  become  united,  when  un- 
fortunate circumstances  did  not  permit  them 
to  belong  to  each  other  in  their  present  plight. 
There  would,  of  course,  be  enough  scandal  even 
now,  but  the  whole  story  was  going  to  be  lifted 
by  this  elopement  into  a  higher  sphere ;  it  would 
take  on,  so  to  speak,  an  appearance  vastly  more 
interesting,  less  vulgar,  nay,  even  aristocratic 
and  excusable,  —  an  entirely  different  matter 
from  the  bald  statement  that  he,  Borgert,  had 
deserted  for  no  other  reason  except  a  lot  of 
bad  debts  and  unclean  financial  machinations. 
253 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

For  a  moment,  it  is  true,  his  better  conscience 
spoke,  reproaching  him  with  the  intention  of 
adding  a  new  crime  to  his  list  of  old  ones ;  but 
this  warning  resounded  so  weakly  within  him 
that  it  had  not  the  slightest  effect.  The  prin- 
cipal thing,  after  all,  was  that  he  must  not  let 
such  an  advantage  escape  him  simply  to  save 
the  feelings  of  others.  Such  minor  considera- 
tions could  not  be  allowed  to  interfere  with  his 
plans. 

Borgert  therefore  briskly  walked  to  town,  and 
at  the  post-office,  where  the  telegraph  bureau 
was  located,  he  wired  to  a  large  second-hand 
dealer  in  the  neighboring  city,  telling  him  to 
pay  him  a  visit  the  following  morning. 

Then  he  returned  home  and  stepped  up  to 
Leimann's. 

He  found  his  friend  busy  packing. 

"  Well,  I  hear  you  are  to  start  to-morrow.  I 
only  learned  it  this  noon,"  said  Borgert,  shak- 
ing hands  with  him. 

"Yes;  I  am  not  at  all  charmed  with  the 
prospect  of  this  trip,  for  I  had  made  no  ar- 
rangements for  it;  but  you  know  how  it  is.  It 
is  always  only  at  the  last  moment  we  receive 
254 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

orders  of  that  kind,  often  barely  leaving  us  time 
enough  to  reach  the  train." 

"  Nevertheless,  I  envy  you  your  trip.    As  for 
me,  there  is  a  less  agreeable  one  awaiting  me." 
"  What,  you  are  also  planning  a  journey?  " 
"  It  is  not  a  matter  of  choice  with  me ;    I 
simply  have  to." 

"  And  where  are  you  going?  " 
"  Home,  starting  to-morrow  afternoon." 
"  Ah,  I  see.    Well,  I  wish  you  luck." 
"  Thanks.    By  the  way,  could  you  lend  me  a 
trunk  ?    I  should  like  to  take  a  number  of  things 
with  me  home,  and  my  own  trunk  is  too  small." 
"  Why,  certainly ;   my  servant  will  bring  you 
down  the  large  trunk.     I  suppose  that  will  an- 
swer your  purpose?" 

"  Oh,  of  course ;  it  will  do  very  nicely. 
Thanks  again." 

Borgert  could  not  help  perceiving  that  his 
visit  did  not  come  quite  opportunely.  Leimann 
was  in  an  ugly  humor  and  did  not  let  himself 
be  interrupted  in  his  occupation.  He  was  so 
much  engrossed  with  his  own  thoughts  that  the 
import  of  Borgert' s  questions  scarcely  reached 
him,  and  the  latter  deemed  it  therefore  wise  to 

255 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

remain  no  longer.  He  made  the  promise,  how- 
ever, to  join  the  Leimanns  at  their  evening 
meal. 

Reaching  his  own  room  again,  Borgert  felt 
himself  free  of  a  great  burden.  In  his  heart 
he  rejoiced  at  the  sudden  turn  his  affairs  had 
taken.  The  bother  and  vexation  of  uncertainty 
no  longer  weighed  on  his  mind.  "  The  die  is 
cast !  "  he  mumbled  to  himself.  He  would  have 
liked  to  dance  and  scream  for  joy.  Another 
day  only,  and  he  would  be  rid  of  the  whole 
sorry  outfit,  and  there  would  be  no  further  oc- 
casion to  worry.  And  with  that,  such  a  pretty 
travelling  companion!  He  really  wondered  at 
himself  now  that  this  idea  had  not  come  to  him 
sooner. 

Suddenly  it  crossed  his  mind  that  he  had  not 
yet  begun  to  pack.  At  least  he  should  at  once 
proceed  to  preliminaries,  —  arranging  and  put- 
ting aside  things,  and  making  ready  for  pack- 
ing the  more  important  objects  which  he  meant 
to  take  along. 

But  what  was  worth  while  taking?  That 
was  the  question.  He  began  to  pick  out  things. 
From  over  the  sofa  he  took  the  large  silver 
256 


AN  AIRY  STRUCTURE 

goblet  —  the  farewell  gift  from  his  former  regi- 
ment —  and  placed  it  in  an  adjoining  room  on 
the  table. 

Rapidly,  then,  he  made  his  selections :  an  album 
of  family  portraits ;  sundry  packages  of  letters ; 
a  couple  of  riding-whips  and  crops  possessing 
an  intrinsic  value,  —  that  is,  a  metallic  one ;  two 
of  the  smaller  and  more  valuable  oil  paintings; 
and  a  large  bundle  of  letters,  —  these,  besides 
some  indispensable  clothes,  were  all  he  intended 
to  take  with  him. 

When  he  entered  the  door  at  Leimann's  at 
seven,  he  found  them  already  at  table. 

Leimann's  face  wore  a  black  look,  and  he 
hardly  lifted  his  eyes  to  his  guest  as  Borgert 
entered. 

His  wife  sat  opposite  to  him,  her  eyes  red 
and  swollen  with  recent  weeping.  She  did 
not  touch  the  food  before  her,  but  every  little 
while  cast  a  searching  and  anxious  look  at  her 
husband. 

Throughout  the  evening  harmony  was  not 

restored;   not  even  a  bottle  of  Eckel  succeeded 

in  bringing  gaiety  back  into  this  small  circle. 

Leimann  remained  in  an  ugly  mood,  and  when- 

17  257 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

ever  that  seized  him  nothing  could  be  done  with 
him.  Therefore  the  parting  took  place  at  an 
early  hour,  and  it  was  cooler  than  it  had  been 
on  similar  occasions. 

Next  morning  Borgert  had  just  risen  when 
the  second-hand  dealer  arrived. 

The  officer  saluted  him  pleasantly  and  bade 
him  enter.  Then  he  completed  his  toilet  and 
began  negotiations  with  the  Hebrew  merchant. 

"  Will  you,  please,  take  the  trouble  to  ex- 
amine the  furniture  and  all  the  other  equip- 
ments in  these  apartments?  "  said  he.  "  I  mean 
to  sell  all  of  it,  just  as  it  stands,  since  I  have 
been  transferred  to  another  garrison.  But  as 
to  this  point  —  I  mean  my  transference  —  I 
must  beg  to  preserve  silence  for  the  moment, 
as  it  is  not  yet  generally  known.  How  much 
could  you  offer  me?" 

The  Jew  pensively  let  his  keen  eyes  wander 
all  about  the  dwelling,  mentally  going  through 
a  rapid  process  of  addition,  subtraction,  and 
silence.  Then  he  proceeded  to  a  more  minute 
examination.  He  handled  every  single  piece, 
using  his  knuckles  to  ascertain  its  exact  condi- 
258 


AN  AIRY  STRUCTURE 

tion;  he  subjected  hangings,  rugs,  and  carpets, 
as  well  as  the  expensive  carving  of  the  book- 
cases and  stands,  to  a  similar  process.  Then  he 
drew  forth  a  small  note-book,  greasy  and  worn, 
and  squinted  at  each  single  object  as  he  noted 
down  its  price.  Finally  he  turned  to  Borgert 
and  said,  with  an  obsequious  smile: 

"  Fifteen  hundred  marks,  Herr  First  Lieu- 
tenant, counting  it  out  in  gold  on  this  table." 

"What!  fifteen  hundred  marks?"  and  Bor- 
gert gave  a  snort  of  disapproval.  "  Why,  man, 
you  must  be  dreaming.  I  have  paid  almost  ten 
thousand  marks  for  the  things." 

"  Sorry,  Herr  First  Lieutenant,"  the  Jew  said, 
shrugging  his  shoulders  in  deprecation  of  such 
high  figures.  "  Old  things  are  not  new  things, 
and  you  won't  get  any  more  from  anybody." 

"  That  is  not  enough ;  that  would  be  giving 
the  things  away." 

"  Well,  I  will  pay  you  two  thousand  marks, 
then,  but  not  a  penny  more." 

Borgert  sat  down  at  his  desk.  He  began  to 
see  that  there  was  no  time  to  lose,  and  that  the 
man  had  him  at  a  great  disadvantage.  Mean- 
while the  dealer  had  his  eyes  fastened  on  the 

259 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

officer's  face,  and  wore  the  same  expectant  and 
obsequious  smile. 

"  All  right,  give  me  the  money ;  you  can  have 
the  whole  stuff,"  said  Borgert,  briefly. 

With  a  smile  that  now  broke  over  his  face 
until  it  illuminated  every  nook  and  corner  of 
the  parchment-like  wrinkles,  the  Jew  drew  a 
formal  document,  a  bill  of  sale,  from  his  breast 
pocket,  stepped  up  to  the  desk,  and  wrote  a  few 
words  on  it.  Then  he  requested  Borgert  to 
sign  it. 

After  the  dealer  had  left  and  Borgert  had 
securely  stowed  away  the  purchase  price,  he  felt 
that  the  last  hindrance  to  his  flight  had  now 
been  removed,  for  a  certain  amount  of  cash  was 
an  indispensable  requisite.  Then  he  stepped 
into  his  bed-chamber,  where  he  took  from  the 
clothes-press  an  elegant  travelling  suit.  The 
remainder  of  his  civilian  clothes  he  packed  care- 
fully and  compactly  in  the  large  trunk  which 
Leimann  meanwhile  had  sent  down.  He  placed 
them  next  to  Frau  Leimann' s  finery  in  the  huge 
trunk,  and  on  top  of  them  the  few  other  trifles 
above  enumerated.  Then  he  had  the  trunk 
taken  to  the  station. 

260 


AN  AIRY  STRUCTURE 

Leimann  meanwhile  was  on  his  way  to  Berlin. 
His  wife,  however,  was  still  very  busy,  —  burn- 
ing up  packages  of  letters  which  she  did  not 
wish  either  her  husband  or  her  companion  to 
read,  and  then  put  into  a  handbag  a  few  objects 
of  the  kind  which  only  women  cherish,  and  the 
sole  value  of  which  lies  in  the  recollections  cling- 
ing to  them.  It  is  astonishing  what  resplendent 
images  a  woman  can  conjure  before  her  inner 
vision  when  in  the  possession  of  such  faded 
flowers,  bits  of  ribbon,  and  the  like. 

Lastly  came  the  leave-taking  from  Bubi,  her 
little  two-year-old  son,  and  this  she  had  fancied 
the  day  before  a  much  harder  achievement  than 
it  now  turned  out.  She  felt  some  qualms  of 
conscience  as  she  now,  with  a  light  heart, 
without  a  tear,  left  behind  her  her  only  child, 
—  left  it  motherless,  exposed  to  a  future  prob- 
ably troubled  and  cheerless. 

It  was  strange,  she  thought.  From  the  first 
moment  on  she  had  experienced  something  like 
aversion  for  this  child  with  the  broad  nose,  the 
large  mouth,  and  the  small,  shifting  eyes.  When 
but  a  couple  of  weeks  old,  the  baby  had  shown 
a  striking  resemblance  to  his  father,  and  the 
261 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

more  the  estrangement  grew  between  his  par- 
ents, the  more  dwindled  the  small  remnant  of 
her  mother  love.  She  regarded  this  tiny  human 
being,  ugly  and  eternally  crying,  as  solely  his 
child.  It  was  in  this  way  that  the  poor  little 
fellow  had  spent  nearly  the  whole  of  his  short 
existence,  —  either  in  the  kitchen  or  with  the 
servants,  fondled,  scolded,  and  educated  by  hire- 
lings. The  mother  herself  frequently  had  not 
seen  her  child  even  for  a  minute  a  day. 

She  had  the  conviction  that  her  husband  had 
deserved  no  better  treatment  at  her  hands,  and 
because  of  that  she  scarcely  gave  him  a  thought 
during  these  last  hours  spent  at  her  home. 
When  she  boarded,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, a  first-class  compartment  of  the  express 
train  for  Frankfort,  she  did  so  with  a  spirit 
light  and  almost  gay. 

And  the  same  was  true  of  Borgert.  He  like- 
wise cast  to  the  winds  any  slight  sentiments  of 
regret  at  leaving  the  garrison,  and  as  the  train, 
some  hours  after  Frau  Leimann's  departure, 
went  shrieking  and  thundering  out  of  the  little 
station,  he  felt  that  he  was  being  carried  on  to 
a  brighter  future.  That  was  enough  for  him. 
262 


AN   AIRY   STRUCTURE 

When  he  and  Frau  Leimann  met,  late  the 
same  evening,  in  the  dining-room  of  an  elegant 
hotel,  all  their  life  seemed  to  lie  before  them 
draped  in  rosy  hue,  and  no  shadows  of  coming 
evils  troubled  them.  After  they  had  ladled  their 
soup  in  comfort,  and  with  the  appearance  of  a 
fine  game  pie,  for  which  this  hotel  is  famous 
among  gourmets,  the  ex-officer  motioned  to  the 
black-frocked  waiter  with  the  immaculate  shirt 
front,  and  said,  curtly: 

"  A  bottle  of  Mumm,  sec!  " 

Thus  these  two  celebrated  the  event  of  their 
flight. 


263 


CHAPTER    VIII 

CHANGES   IN   THE   GARRISON 

THE  flight  of  First  Lieutenant  Borgert 
could  not  long  remain  a  secret. 

When  he  did  not  return  at  the  expiration  of 
his  short  leave,  and  a  telegraphic  query  brought 
the  answer  from  his  father  that  he  had  not  seen 
him,  the  assumption  began  to  take  shape  that 
he  had  tried  to  escape  the  consequences  of  his 
misdoings  by  deserting. 

It  is  true  that  no  one  aside  from  Leimann 
had  known  precisely  his  bad  financial  status. 
But  when  the  Jewish  dealer  came  to  claim 
the  furniture  sold  him,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
bailiff  arrived  with  the  intention  of  seizing  the 
very  same  objects  on  the  strength  of  a  new 
process  of  attachment  begun  in  court,  the  catas- 
trophe could  no  longer  be  hidden  from  the 
world.  Everybody  then  began  to  see,  detail 
264 


CHANGES   IN   THE  GARRISON 

after  deatil,  the  whole  system  of  fraud  erected 
by  Borgert,  with  the  passive  connivance  of  his 
friend  Leimann. 

The  court  ordered  that  the  entire  property  of 
the  deserter  be  placed  in  legal  custody.  A  term 
was  fixed  when  the  horde  of  creditors  whom  he 
had  so  shamefully  deceived  were  to  be  adjudged 
pro-rata  shares  of  the  whole.  Advertisements 
were  inserted  in  the  papers,  calling  upon  all 
those  having  claims  against  the  estate  of  the 
defaulter  to  come  forward.  Hundreds  of  bills 
came  by  mail  from  all  the  cities  and  townsr  and 
even  from  the  villages  surrounding  the  little 
garrison,  and  the  amounts  in  their  totality  fig- 
ured up  to  a  considerable  sum. 

Borgert' s  father,  too,  —  a  worthy  old  gentle- 
man, broken-hearted  at  the  downfall  of  his  only 
son,  —  had  to  appear  in  court  and  depose  as  to 
his  son's  past  and  present  misdoings,  as  far  as 
he  was  aware  of  them.  Even  that  portion  of 
the  estate  which,  according  to  the  father's  in- 
tentions, was  to  fall  to  his  son's  share  at  his 
father's  death,  was  sequestrated  by  a  mandate 
of  the  court  and  added  to  the  assets  left  behind 
by  Borgert.  In  addition,  the  state's  attorney 
265 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

issued  a  "  Steckbrief  " J  against  the  ex-officer, 
in  which  he  was  charged  with  a  whole  list  of 
offences. 

The  dwelling  itself  had  the  court  seals  at- 
tached to  it,  and  even  the  poor  horses  in  the 
stable  had  fastened  to  their  manes  small,  leaden 
seals  tied  on  with  string,  to  denote  that  the 
state  had  taken  possession  of  them. 

It  stands  to  reason  that  all  these  interesting 
events  travelled  through  the  little  town  on  the 
wings  of  gossip,  and  no  village  or  city  within  a 
radius  of  ten  miles  failed  to  regard  the  matter  as 
a  delicious  bit  of  local  scandal.  The  small  penny 
sheets  printed  in  a  number  of  these  places  were  in 
clover.  Nothing  like  such  a  genuine  sensation 
had  come  to  their  hands  for  some  time. 

Colonel  von  Kronau,  the  pompous  and  infal- 
lible, was  very  much  cast  down.  There  were 
some  smart  gentlemen  in  the  regiment  who 
now  claimed  to  have  suspected  the  facts  for  a 
long  time,  and  to  have  seen  such  a  catastrophe 
approaching.  But  there  are  always  such  people, 


1  "  Steckbrief,"  a  term   in  German  law  meaning  a  circular 
demand  on  all  domestic  or  foreign  authorities  to  arrest  and  hold 
in  custody  for  extradition  an  escaped  criminal.  —  TR. 
266 


CHANGES   IN   THE   GARRISON 

and  as  a  matter-of-fact  neither  these  wiseacres 
nor  their  less  astute  comrades  had  ever  expected 
Borgert  to  turn  out  badly.  For  his  case,  al- 
though somewhat  worse,  was  substantially  the 
epitome  of  their  own  cases,  and  it  is  a  truism 
that  we  never  see  ourselves  as  others  see  us. 

The  colonel  remarked  to  Captain  Konig,  shak- 
ing his  head  with  a  melancholy  smile,  that  this 
new  turn  of  affairs  was  the  "  last  nail  in  his 
coffin,"  and  henceforth  he  was  seen  going  about 
with  a  face  gloomy  and  expectant  of  the  worst. 
For  gradually  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
to  keep  in  good  order  a  garrison  and  its  corps 
of  officers,  some  other  methods  must  be  em- 
ployed than  those  to  which  he  had  clung,  at  the 
advice  of  Frau  Stark,  for  years.  It  dawned  on 
him  that  his  type  of  discipline  had  wrought  a 
train  of  evils  which  had  grown  avalanche-like, 
and  which  now  at  last  was  likely  to  bury  his 
official  head  under  a  load  of  opprobrium. 

The  fact  that  Frau  Leimann  had  followed 
the  First  Lieutenant  became  known  a  few  days 
later.  This  was  when  her  husband  returned 
from  Berlin  and  found  a  letter  from  her,  in 
which  she  implored  his  forgiveness,  and  as- 
267 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

sured  him  she  had  acted  under  an  impulse  too 
strong  to  resist.  Of  their  unhappy  married  life 
she  said  nothing. 

Thus  Leimann  was  punished  doubly.  He  had 
been  made  ridiculous  before  the  world,  and  was 
laughed  at  behind  his  back  by  all  those  who 
belonged  to  his  extensive  circle  of  acquaintances. 
And  Bofgert's  flight  had  precipitated  Leimann's 
own  financial  downfall.  His  creditors  and  those 
of  Borgert  obtained  orders  in  court  which  forced 
him  to  sell  the  larger  part  of  his  small  private 
fortune,  consisting  of  sound  investments,  to  sat- 
isfy their  claims.  A  goodly  proportion  of  his 
enforced  payments  was  for  those  sums  guar- 
anteed by  him  in  Borgert's  behalf.  When  all 
his  affairs  had  been  unravelled,  he  had  but  a 
very  small  sum  remaining  to  him. 

Meanwhile  no  trace  of  Frau  Leimann  and  of 
her  companion  was  found,  although  detectives 
of  various  countries  were  several  times  on  their 
tracks.  Nobody  knew  where  they  had  found  a 
refuge. 

A  fortnight  after  his  desertion  poor  Rose  was 
discovered  and  arrested.     He  had  been  seized 
268 


CHANGES   IN   THE  GARRISON 

at  the  Belgian  frontier.  A  court-martial  was 
quickly  summoned,  and  during  the  trial  it  be- 
came apparent  that  the  motive  which  alone  had 
driven  him  to  desertion  had  been  the  brutal 
maltreatment  to  which  his  master,  Borgert,  had 
subjected  him.  The  court  regarded  that,  how- 
ever, as  a  mitigating  circumstance  of  such  slight 
value  that  it  reduced  the  measure  of  the  punish- 
ment meted  out  to  him  in  only  a  small  degree. 
The  poor  fellow  was  universally  commiserated 
by  high  and  low,  and  even  among  the  officers  a 
voice  was  raised  now  and  then  in  exculpation. 
Many  of  their  subordinates  expressed  privately 
the  opinion  that  a  poor  soldier,  even  if  only  the 
son  of  an  humble  peasant,  like  Rose,  ought  to 
have  some  rights,  and  that  he  ought  to  be 
treated  humanely  by  his  superiors.  But  these 
were  but  private  opinions,  stated  in  a  barely 
audible  voice,  and  in  the  seclusion  of  the  men's 
own  quarters.  As  such,  naturally,  they  had  not 
the  slightest  value  in  changing  the  fortunes  of 
poor  Rose,  who  was  sentenced  to  undergo  a 
term  of  many  years  of  hard  labor  in  a  military 
penitentiary. 


269 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

At  the  divorce  trial,  which  took  place  at 
Leimann's  instance,  a  great  many  unpalatable 
facts  were  brought  to  light. 

The  two  servant-maids  in  his  house,  as  well 
as  the  orderly,  gave  testimony  of  such  a  char- 
acter that  the  few  remaining  hairs  on  Leimann's 
pear-shaped  skull  rose  in  affright.  He  could 
not  understand  how  he  had  been  so  blind  as  not 
to  have  perceived  the  treachery  of  his  friend 
and  the  faithlessness  of  his  wife.  A  decree  of 
divorce  was  pronounced  by  the  court,  and  Lei- 
mann  shortly  after  handed  in  his  resignation. 
He  was  forced  to  that  step  by  several  considera- 
tions. On  the  one  hand  he  was  compelled  to 
turn  to  a  more  profitable  calling  than  that  of 
serving  his  country  in  the  army,  since  he  had 
now  but  very  slender  means  at  his  command; 
on  the  other  hand,  all  the  events  in  which  he  had 
been  a  conspicuous  figure  had  damaged  his  repu- 
tation so  greatly  as  to  make  his  further  stay  in 
the  corps  of  officers  almost  impossible. 

He  accepted  a  position  for  which  he  was  emi- 
nently qualified  by  natural  taste  and  long  expe- 
rience, —  that  of  drummer  for  a  wholesale  wine 
firm.  His  little  boy  he  intrusted  to  the  care  of 
270 


CHANGES   IN   THE   GARRISON 

some  humble  relatives,  and  his  pension  as  First 
Lieutenant  was  just  sufficient  to  pay  for  the 
little  fellow's  board. 

Almost  simultaneously,  with  the  acceptance 
of  Leimann's  resignation,  formal  sentence  was 
pronounced  against  Borgert.  He  was  con- 
demned to  a  jail  term  of  five  years,  to  depriva- 
tion of  all  civic  honors  for  ten  years,  and  to 
expulsion  from  the  army,  brought  about  by  a 
series  of  frauds,  by  desertion  and  by  maltreat- 
ment of  subordinates  in  ten  cases. 

The  newspapers  published  this  sentence,  and 
with  it  came  to  a  close  the  career  of  this  mis- 
creant, as  far  as  the  army  was  concerned. 

Meanwhile  there  sat  in  the  bureau  of  a  large 
factory  ex-Sergeant  Schmitz,  busy  at  his  desk 
with  a  row  of  figures. 

The  other  employees  had  already  risen  from 
their  places  and  were  taking  their  overcoats 
from  a  rack  in  the  corner,  for  the  large  factory 
bell  announcing  the  close  of  the  day's  labor  had 
rung  out  ten  minutes  since. 

But  Schmitz  did  not  allow  himself  to  be  dis- 
turbed by  the  loud  conversation  going  on  about 
271 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

him.  He  continued  writing  as  if  he  were  in 
the  midst  of  silence.  The  large  office-room 
had  almost  emptied  itself  of  its  inmates  when 
Master  Worker  Maurer  entered. 

Maurer  was  a  squat-built  man,  and  his  pale, 
oval  face  was  strangely  illuminated  by  piercing 
eyes  of  a  forbidding  expression.  His  moustache 
hung  straggling  about  the  corners  of  his  mouth, 
and  there  was  something  indicative  of  cruelty 
and  meanness  about  his  whole  face. 

"  I  suppose  you  can't  tear  yourself  away  from 
your  work  again  ?  Are  n't  you  coming  soon  ?  " 
he  called  over  to  Schmitz.  But  the  latter  did 
not  even  look  up  from  his  work,  and  briefly 
answered : 

"  In  a  moment ;  sit  down !  " 

The  two  men  were  good  friends. 

Only  a  few  weeks  before  Schmitz  had  stood 
amidst  the  mechanics  at  the  lathe,  pushing  me- 
chanically one  cube  of  wood  after  the  other 
into  the  sharp  teeth  of  the  rotating  steel.  This 
sort  of  activity  had  permitted  him  to  indulge 
in  his  own  thoughts,  for  it  did  not  require 
him  to  expend  his  intellect  as  well  as  his 
brawn. 

272 


CHANGES   IN   THE  GARRISON 

But  in  a  short  while  qualities  had  been  de- 
tected in  the  quiet,  diligent  workingman  which 
brought  him  advancement.  His  military  train- 
ing and  the  self-sufficing  determination  which 
he  had  acquired  in  dealing  with  raw  recruits 
had  given  him  a  knack  of  controlling  his  fellow- 
workers.  Thus  it  came  about  that  Schmitz  was 
promoted  to  the  position  of  overseer  in  the 
machine  hall,  the  same  in  which  he  had  so 
far  toiled  with  the  rest.  His  fellow-workers, 
of  course,  looked  with  envy  upon  this  parvenu, 
who  had  only  recently  appeared  among  them 
and  who  now  played  the  part  of  commander. 
There  was  no  dearth  of  scornful  remarks  at  his 
expense,  but  the  old  soldier  understood  very 
well  how  to  baffle  such  behavior. 

In  the  morning,  after  he  had  seen  his  men 
busily  at  work  at  their  various  tasks,  he  fre- 
quently paid  a  visit  to  Maurer,  who  was  em- 
ployed as  an  engineer. 

And  during  these  matutinal  chats  Maurer  dis- 
covered in  Schmitz  a  man  whom  it  would  be 
easy  to  gain  for  his  cause,  —  the  cause  of  Social- 
ism. Maurer  himself  was  one  of  the  most 
notorious  local  leaders  of  the  Socialist  hosts, 

18  2 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

and  he  felt  sure  that  this  new  man  would  be- 
come a  valuable  addition  to  the  ranks  of  the 
forces  acting  under  his  supervision. 

In  this  assumption,  indeed,  Maurer  was  not 
mistaken.  Schmitz  was  still  harboring  the 
hatred  against  militarism  and  the  government, 
which  had  been  engendered  in  him  by  his  own 
experience  in  the  army.  A  deep-seated,  grim 
feeling  fermented  in  his  soul  because  of  the 
bitter  injustice  done  him.  He  could  not  forget 
that  the  best  years  of  his  life  had  been  frittered 
away  in  a  service  which  in  the  end  proved  of 
no  avail  to  him.  Thus,  he  had  become  a  re- 
cruit for  the  Socialist  cause,  and  it  had  scarcely 
needed  the  persuasions  of  his  new  comrade, 
Maurer,  to  induce  him  to  forswear  all  allegi- 
ance to  the  ancient  cause  of  king  and  father- 
land, and  to  vow  service  with  body  and  soul  to 
the  red  flag.  The  loyal  soldier  had  become  a 
strong  pillar  of  the  Socialist  Party.  On  the 
morrow  Schmitz  was  to  make  a  speech  before 
a  large  circle  of  men  holding  similar  views,  and 
it  was  for  that  Maurer  was  now  waiting  for 
him.  He  meant  to  inculcate  another  lesson  or 
two  in  his  friend's  mind,  and  to  talk  over  with 
274 


CHANGES   IN   THE  GARRISON 

him  a  few  important  points  in  the  programme 
of  the  evening. 

When  Schmitz  had  laid  aside  his  work  and 
locked  up  his  sheets  in  the  desk,  —  sheets  on 
which  the  list  of  names  of  the  men  under  him 
and  the  respective  amounts  of  work  done  by 
each  were  marked  down,  —  he  joined  Maurer. 
Both  then  walked  on  in  silence  through  the 
narrow  lanes  towards  Maurer' s  dwelling. 

At  a  nearby  dramshop  they  jointly  purchased 
a  jugful  of  beer;  then  took  it  home,  lit  the 
lamp,  and  began  their  conversation. 

It  turned  particularly  on  a  new  tax  bill, 
which  would  add  another  serious  burden  to 
those  under  which  the  working  classes  were 
groaning.  The  aim  was  to  gain  as  many  op- 
ponents to  it  as  possible,  so  that  at  the  last 
reading  in  the  Reichstag  an  overwhelming 
majority  could  be  secured  against  the  measure, 
sufficient  to  bring  about  its  defeat. 

The  two  friends  were  engaged  in  eager  dis- 
cussion until  after  midnight.  When  they  parted 
they  had  reached  perfect  agreement. 

On  the  day  following  Schmitz  was  in  a  state 
of  feverish  agitation.  It  seemed  strange  to  him, 

275 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

after  all.  But  a  short  while  ago  he  was  wear- 
ing the  "  king's  coat.  "  A  short  twelvemonth 
previously  he  had  been  a  soldier  of  the  Kaiser's, 
—  a  man  sworn  to  defend  the  fatherland  and  to 
aid  and  further  its  interests,  —  and  to-day  ?  — 
to-day  he  was  one  of  those  who  are  accused  of 
shaking  the  foundations  of  the  state  edifice,  those 
who  are  aiming  to  erect  a  new  commonwealth 
more  in  consonance  with  their  own  ideas  and 
interests. 

But  when  he  on  the  same  evening  ascended 
the  speaker's  stand,  carrying  himself  erect  as  a 
freeman,  and  when  a  crowd  of  many  hundreds 
welcomed  the  new  comrade  with  enthusiastic 
shouts,  he  felt  differently.  Even  before  he  had 
said  a  word  to  his  new  friends  they  saluted  him 
joyously  as  one  of  themselves,  —  as  one  to  bring 
about  the  new  millennium,  —  and  his  confidence 
in  himself  grew  apace,  and  a  mighty  longing  to 
achieve  fame  in  this  new  army  clutched  his  soul. 
It  was  his  full  intention  to  please  this  heteroge- 
neous mass  of  men ;  he  meant  to  force  them  into 
the  circle  of  his  own  conceptions  and  beliefs,  so 
that  all  of  them  should  follow  him,  without  a  will 
of  their  own,  as  sheep  follow  a  shepherd. 
276 


CHANGES   IN   THE  GARRISON 

And  he  began  his  address.  He  first  described 
the  provisions  of  this  new  bill,  and  then  laid 
bare  the  consequences  to  the  laboring  multitude 
that  the  adoption  of  such  a  measure  would 
have. 

A  new  tax,  he  explained,  meant  a  further 
step  in  the  pauperization  of  the  masses.  He 
showed  that  this  new  tax  was  a  superfluity, 
provided  the  attempt  was  abandoned  by  the 
government  to  increase  still  further  the  strength 
of  the  army. 

"  Gigantic  sums  of  money  are  annually  wasted 
by  the  government  for  the  military,"  said  he,  in 
a  ringing  voice.  "  Scarcely  have  millions  upon 
millions  been  voted  for  the  introduction  of  new 
rifles  and  new  guns;  scarcely  have  new  regi- 
ments been  formed  and  the  conformation  of 
existing  ones  altered,  when  all  these  measures 
are  found  to  be  worse  than  useless.  Errors  of 
calculation  are  discovered  when  it  is  too  late  to 
retrieve  them,  and  new  sums  of  enormous  size 
are  demanded  in  order  to  overcome  innova- 
tions conceived  in  haste  and  executed  without 
judgment. 

"  Germany's  reputation  and  her  power  in  the 
277 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

world  have  been  won  by  the  army,  and  it  is 
her  army  which  neighbors  begrudge  us.  But 
have  we  not  arrived  on  the  summit  of  military 
power  ?  Must  we  extend  militarism  to  the  point 
where  it  smothers  and  throttles  all  other  organs 
of  the  state  machine? 

"  If  we  but  devoted  to  other  institutions  of 
the  empire  a  modest  portion  of  the  untold  money 
that  is  swallowed  up  every  year  by  the  army, 
there  would  be  no  necessity  for  laying  tax  upon 
tax  upon  the  citizens  until  what  remains  to  them 
of  the  fruits  of  their  labor  hardly  suffices  for 
bare  needs.  If  we  did  that,  we  should  be  a 
wealthy  country;  the  citizen  would  acquire  ma- 
terial wellbeing.  Industry  would  revive  and 
yield  to  the  people  all  its  blessings.  But  if  it 
is  not  intended  to  cease  favoring  the  army  to 
such  an  unreasonable  extent,  let  them  take  the 
money  needed  from  the  pockets  of  those  who 
are  spending  their  days  in  sloth  and  wilful 
luxury.  As  it  is,  the  wealthy  are  not  burdened 
any  more  than  the  poor  laborer,  while  the  latter 
really  has  to  surrender  a  portion  of  the  scant 
bread  he  has  earned  for  himself  and  his  family 
to  maintain  a  state  of  things  in  which  capital 
278 


CHANGES   IN   THE   GARRISON 

enjoys  all  those  advantages  which  are  denied 
to  him. 

"  Then  I  ask  of  what  blessing  is  the  army  to 
the  citizen,  to  the  people  as  a  whole?  It  takes 
away  his  children;  it  uses  up  the  best  years  in 
their  lives,  —  those  years  in  which  the  youth 
ripens  into  a  man,  and  in  which  his  character 
matures.  It  is  during  those  years  that  our  sons 
are  often  treated  with  injustice  and  brutality,  and, 
as  a  natural  consequence,  they  return  from  the 
army  into  work-a-day  life,  as  the  bitter  enemies 
of  a  government  which  dismisses  many  of  them 
as  helpless  cripples  or  as  physical  wrecks  without 
ever  thinking  of  making  suitable  award.  Then, 
still  more  frequently,  our  sons,  after  spending 
the  best  strength  they  have  in  the  service  of 
the  state,  in  hard  toil,  and  in  exposing  them- 
selves to  all  rigors  of  a  changeable  climate,  are 
sent  back  into  the  world,  dismissed  from  the 
army,  just  because  of  some  trivial  offence,  — 
kicked  out  into  the  cold  as  one  might  a  dog, 
compelling  him  to  hunt  for  food  and  to  seek  a 
new  master.  Therefore,  I  say,  let  us  compel 
the  government  to  spend  hereafter  the  money 
so  uselessly  wasted  for  the  enlargement  of  an 
279 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

army  that  has  already  overgrown  its  proper 
size,  rather  for  more  useful  purposes,  so  that 
the  people,  the  masses,  will  know  what  they 
have  sacrificed  themselves  for." 

The  words  of  the  speaker,  drawn  so  largely 
from  his  own  bitter  experiences,  were  frequently 
interrupted  by  a  loud  acclaim;  but  as  Schmitz 
now  stepped  down  from  his  eminence  to  mingle 
with  his  auditors,  the  large  crowd  that  filled  the 
hall  to  suffocation  began  to  rend  the  air  with 
frantic  cheers.  They  threw  up  their  caps  and 
shouted  approval;  scores  of  them  cried:  "Bravo, 
Schmitz !  "  ;  while  others  crowded  up  to  him  to 
shake  him  by  the  hand.  It  was  an  ovation  as 
enthusiastic  as  Schmitz  had  never  aspired  to  in 
his  boldest  moments,  and  his  natural  vanity  felt 
intensely  gratified.  As  to  these  people,  he  had 
indeed  gained  them  over  to  his  way  of  thinking. 

His  words  had  sounded  so  convincing,  they 
had  struck  the  popular  chord  so  accurately,  that 
many  a  one  in  this  dense  throng  who  had  merely 
come  that  night  as  a  spectator,  drawn  by  idle 
curiosity,  had  been  convinced  of  the  justice  of 
the  Socialist  cause,  and  resolved  to  join  the 
party  which  espoused  the  claims  of  the  poor. 
280 


CHANGES   IN   THE  GARRISON 

And  so  Schmitz  had  that  night  become  not 
only  an  adherent  but  a  leader  of  the  "  red " 
party,  —  a  party  which  in  this  large  manufac- 
turing town  was  becoming  more  and  more 
formidable. 


281 


CHAPTER    IX 

RESIGNATIONS   ARE   IN   ORDER 

SERGEANT-MAJOR  KROHN,  the  regi- 
mental chief  clerk,  was  leaning  against 
the  iron  railing  which  shut  off  from  the  vulgar 
civilian  world  the  edifice  holding  the  offices  and 
administrative  bureaux. 

He  was  smoking  his  morning  cigar  with  con- 
siderable zest  and  reading  the  Deutsche  Zeitung, 
which  the  letter-carrier  had  just  left  for  the 
colonel.  He  was  at  leisure  just  then,  for  the 
colonel  had  gone  on  horseback  to  view  the  regi- 
mental drill  on  the  parade  grounds,  quite  a  dis- 
tance from  town;  and  on  such  days  it  was  the 
habit  of  the  adjutant  to  recompense  himself  by 
a  sound  matutinal  slumber  for  the  nightly  sleep 
he  had  missed  in  attending  this  banquet  or  that 
carousal. 

Krohn  was  deep  in  the  study  of  the  ad- 
vertisements he  had  found  in  the  paper  when 
282 


RESIGNATIONS   ARE   IN   ORDER 

his  "  colleague,"  Sergeant-Major  Schonemann, 
stepped  up  to  him,  dragging  his  clanking  sabre 
at  his  heels,  and  with  a  cigarette  between  his 
lips. 

"  Morning,  morning,  Herr  Commander ! "  he 
addressed  Krohn  in  a  jocular  spirit.  "  What  is 
the  news?  " 

The  minor  dignitary  thus  addressed  smiled 
pleasantly,  and  sent  a  small  cloud  of  fragrant 
smoke  into  the  air  before  answering. 

"  Great  things  are  going  on,  noble  brother- 
in-arms.  I  had  almost  forgotten  about  that." 

"  You  don't  say !  Has  H.  M.  at  last  sent  me 
a  decoration  ?  " 

"  Not  precisely,  but  something  almost  as 
unlikely,  —  Konig  has  been  placed  under 
arrest." 

"What?  Konig?  Thunder  and  lightning! 
What  the  dickens  has  he  been  doing?" 

"  Why,  they  say  he  has  been  putting  his 
fingers  into  the  squadron  fund,  and  that  some 
of  the  gold  has  stuck  to  them.  Really,  it 's  a 
disgrace;  a  fellow  like  him,  too,  quite  wealthy, 
and  all  that." 

"  The  devil !     I  should  never  have  supposed 
283 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

that  of  him;    no,  not  of  him!    And  how  did 
they  find  it  out?" 

"  Have  n't  the  faintest  idea.  I  presume  the 
colonel  must  have  heard  something  about  it. 
Yesterday  afternoon  he  had  him  up  in  his  room 
and  charged  him  with  the  thing  to  his  face.  I 
peeped  through  the  key-hole,  and  saw  the  poor 
fellow  becoming  pale  under  the  accusation.  He 
wanted  to  fetch  his  books  at  once;  but  the 
colonel  would  n't  listen  to  him,  and  ordered  him 
forthwith  under  arrest." 

"  But  these  two  used  to  get  along  so  well 
together ! " 

"  Of  course !  And  I  presume  there  must  be 
some  truth  to  the  story,  else  the  colonel  would 
probably  have  managed  the  thing  otherwise, 
especially  as  he  himself  is  in  disfavor  with  the 
powers  that  be.  This  new  affair  will  break  his 
neck." 

"  Well,  as  for  me,"  said  Schonemann,  "  I 
don't  believe  in  the  story  until  I  see  it  in  print. 
Konig  is  not  at  all  that  sort  of  fellow.  And 
the  colonel  always  flies  off  the  handle  and  seems 
to  be  glad  when  he  has  a  chance  of  showing  his 
authority.  He  thinks  that  is  smart !  " 
284 


RESIGNATIONS   ARE   IN   ORDER 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,  and  what 's  more,  I  don't 
care." 

The  explanation  of  all  this  conversation  is  a 
very  simple  one.  We  remember  that  First 
Lieutenant  Borgert,  before  seeking  fresh  fields 
for  his  energy,  had  made  up  his  mind  to  get 
even  with  Captain  Konig  for  that  curt  letter  in 
which  the  captain  had  refused  to  accede  to 
Leimann's  request  for  another  large  loan. 

Misled  by  the  captain's  own  words  on  a  pre- 
vious occasion  of  similar  kind,  he  had  taken  it 
for  granted  that  Konig  had  really  been  guilty 
of  diverting  some  of  the  moneys  under  his  care 
to  oblige  a  needy  comrade,  —  Borgert  himself. 
In  his  vindictiveness  he  had  spared  no  pains  in 
the  course  of  his  conversations  with  fellow- 
officers  at  the  Casino  to  spread  rumors  as  to 
this  alleged  fact,  magnifying  the  matter  or  dis- 
torting its  details,  as  it  suited  his  purpose;  and 
even  after  Borgert' s  flight  these  rumors  had 
been  scattered  broadcast  by  the  idle  tongue  of 
gossip.  Finally,  they  had  filtered  down  and 
become  the  theme  of  general  conversation.  The 
colonel,  too,  had  heard  of  the  matter,  and,  in  his 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

present  condition  of  extreme  nervousness  regard- 
ing the  reputation  of  the  regiment,  that  worthy 
had  deemed  it  his  duty  to  go  to  the  root  of  it. 

Konig  himself  had  had  no  occasion  to  clear 
himself  of  all  this  gathering  suspicion,  for  in 
his  presence  the  wagging  tongues  became  mute. 
Borgert  had  maliciously  misrepresented  Konig 
so  much  in  his  talks  with  the  junior  officers  as 
to  create  quite  a  strong  feeling  against  him. 
He  had  stated  that  Konig,  although  abundantly 
able  to  help  some  momentarily  embarrassed 
comrades  out  of  their  troubles,  had  not  only 
refused  point-blank,  but  had  added  insult  to  in- 
jury. Such  supposed  behavior,  since  Borgert' s 
tales  had  found  credence,  had  cost  Konig  the 
sympathy  of  the  majority  of  the  officers,  and 
now  that  trouble  had  overtaken  him,  many  of 
them  rejoiced  at  the  fact.  Lieutenant  Bleibtreu 
would  have  informed  his  squadron  chief  of  the 
unpleasant  rumors  circulating,  but  ill  luck  would 
have  it  that  that  faithful  junior  happened  to  be 
off  on  leave  of  absence.  He  did  not  correspond 
with  any  of  his  fellow-officers  during  his  leave, 
and  knew  nothing  of  the  matter  until  after 
Konig'' s  arrest 

286 


RESIGNATIONS  ARE  IN  ORDER 

It  was  only  by  furnishing  an  extravagantly 
high  amount  of  bail  that  Konig  temporarily 
regained  his  liberty,  having  spent  some  ten  days 
in  jail  meanwhile.  By  the  colonel's  order  he 
was  then  suspended  from  active  duty  and  com- 
pelled to  await  the  outcome  of  the  accusation 
in  his  own  home.  At  first  Konig  was  stunned 
by  the  blow.  After  fifteen  years  of  active  ser- 
vice, during  which  he  had  never  been  charged 
with  anything  contrary  to  good  morals  or  man- 
ners, he  was  now  accused  of  a  vulgar  crime! 
And  what  was  worse,  the  accusation  against 
him  was  entirely  based  on  the  irresponsible  re- 
marks of  a  man  who  was  a  moral  wreck  at  the 
time  he  made  them,  and  who  had  since  been 
legally  condemned  as  a  convicted  criminal.  It 
was  nothing  less  than  an  outrage,  it  seemed  to 
him. 

Where  was  the  confidence,  the  good  comrade- 
ship, with  which  he  had  formerly  met  on  all 
sides  ?  Was  it  not  the  duty  of  his  superior,  the 
colonel,  first  closely  to  investigate  the  circum- 
stances surrounding  an  alleged  fact  which  on 
its  face  seemed  highly  improbable,  before  for- 
mulating such  an  accusation  likely  to  ruin  his 
287 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

reputation  in  the  whole  regiment  and  in  the 
entire  army? 

And,  indeed,  the  good  captain  had  sufficient 
reason  for  complaining  of  the  treatment  he  now 
met  with.  The  ground  had  been  well  prepared 
by  the  mischievous  gossip  that  had  preceded  his 
arrest,  and  now  he  was  shunned  as  would  have 
been  a  convicted  criminal,  an  outcast,  and  the 
very  children  in  the  street  pointed  the  finger  of 
scorn  at  him  and  his  family.  Bleibtreu  was  the 
only  exception.  Firmly  convinced  of  the  inno- 
cence of  his  friend,  he  did  valiant  service  in 
trying  to  restore  the  former  universal  confi- 
dence in  Konig's  integrity. 

He  proved  his  unshaken  belief  in  the  captain 
by  paying  him  daily  visits,  and  by  spending 
every  evening  with  him  and  his  family.  He 
became  the  companion  of  Konig's  solitary 
walks;  and  he  even  persisted  in  this  after  he 
had  been  warned  of  the  consequences  by  the 
colonel,  and  when  his  comrades  punished  him 
for  his  unselfish  friendship  by  likewise  ostra- 
cising and  assuming  a  hostile  attitude  towards 
him. 

But  all  these  machinations  did  not  hinder  the 
288 


RESIGNATIONS   ARE   IN   ORDER 

young  man  from  doing  what  he  regarded  as  his 
duty.  He  would  have  deemed  himself  a  pol- 
troon if  he  had  abandoned  his  friend  now  that 
misfortune  had  overtaken  him. 

The  entire  body  of  non-commissioned  officers 
of  the  regiment  and  the  whole  rank  and  file  of 
it  felt  deeply  indignant  at  the  manner  in  which 
this  popular  officer  was  made  a  scapegoat  by  the 
colonel,  and  this  universal  sentiment  found  its 
expression  by  numerous  unofficial  calls  which 
many  of  the  captain's  subordinates  made  on 
him  during  his  time  of  tribulation. 

The  same  was  true  of  the  civilian  circles, 
both  in  the  garrison  and  in  the  neighboring 
city :  they  all  were  filled  with  disgust  and  aver- 
sion at  the  conditions  created  by  the  stupidity 
and  stubbornness  of  Colonel  von  Kronau.  They 
testified  their  sympathy  for  Konig  on  various 
occasions.  It  was  owing  to  all  these  mitigating 
facts  that  Konig  gradually  came  to  view  the 
future  with  brighter  spectacles,  and  he  con- 
soled himself  with  the  thought  that  justice 
must  triumph  in  the  end;  but  his  patience  was 
sorely  tried  in  the  meanwhile,  for  the  investi- 
gation of  his  case  dragged  on  a  long  while.  If 
19  289 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

it  had  been  a  case  creating  sensational  interest, 

—  a  case  of  manslaughter  or  of  cruel  abuse 
of  subordinates,  perhaps,  —  there  would  have 
been  more  promptness,  in  order  to  quiet  public 
opinion;    but  his  was  a  case  which  seemed  to 
call  for  no  such  speedy  action.     What  differ- 
ence did  it  make  if  he  had  to  wait  for  months, 

—  a  prey  to  misgivings  and  doubts,  and  ex- 
posed hourly  to  malignant  talk  of  busybodies? 

Six  weeks  had  elapsed  before  his  first  pre- 
liminary hearing  took  place.  Konig,  of  course, 
took  occasion  to  explain  the  whole  matter,  and 
to  prove,  by  means  of  his  ledgers  and  by  oral 
testimony,  how  entirely  unjust  was  the  accusa- 
tion against  him. 

He  was  soon  undeceived,  however,  in  the 
hope  that  the  end  of  the  proceedings  against 
him  had  now  come;  for  the  court  was  by  no 
means  satisfied  with  his  ex-parte  showing.  They 
demanded  an  expert  examination  of  his  ledgers 
for  the  last  three  years,  and  this  task  required 
fully  three  months. 

At  the  trial  his  innocence  of  the  charge  was, 
of  course,  fully  established,  and  an  acquittal  was 
the  result. 

290 


RESIGNATIONS  ARE  IN  ORDER 

It  had  been  proven  that  there  had  been  no 
diversion  of  funds,  but  that  the  captain's  equivo- 
cal statement  to  that  effect  made  to  Borgert 
and  admitted  by  the  captain  himself  had  been 
a  mere  pretext.  The  motive  for  this  had  also 
been  shown  to  be  that,  as  may  be  remembered, 
of  preventing  further  requests  for  loans  from 
so  bad  a  debtor  as  Borgert.  A  bald  statement 
of  these  facts  was  contained  in  the  finding  of 
the  court-martial. 

Konig  had  expected  no  other  rinding;  but 
in  the  officers'  circle  the  acquittal  called  forth 
nothing  but  disappointment. 

Some  four  months  later  H.  M.'s  confirma- 
tion of  the  court's  finding  reached  the  little  gar- 
rison. And  that  was  the  signal  for  another 
procedure,  for  now  it  became  the  duty  of  the 
Council  of  Honor  to  undertake  a  new  investiga- 
tion of  the  same  facts,  but  from  a  different  point 
of  view,  —  namely,  whether  Konig  had  failed  in 
any  one  point  against  the  professional  honor  of 
an  officer,  and  hence  merited  reprimand  or  pun- 
ishment at  the  hands  of  his  second  judges. 

The  captain  accepted  this  new  ordeal  with 
the  long-suffering  patience  which  had  become 
291 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

habitual  to  him  by  this  time.  The  final  issue 
was  still  involved  in  slight  doubt,  but  he  felt 
himself  safe  in  the  firm  conviction  of  his  own 
innocence. 

During  this  whole  period  of  anxiety  his 
domestic  hearth  had  been  almost  his  sole  source 
of  comfort.  His  family  life  had  always  been 
one  of  unalloyed  happiness,  and  his  wife,  though 
young  and  pretty,  had  never  been  fond  of  that 
ceaseless  round  of  noisy  dissipation  which  had 
been  such  a  feature  of  the  little  garrison  for 
years  past.  So  she  did  not  miss  the  social 
pleasures  which  she  now  perforce  had  to  deny 
herself;  for,  along  with  her  husband,  the  ladies 
of  the  garrison  now  made  it  their  business  to 
cut  her  whenever  she  met  any  of  them  in  the 
streets.  Nevertheless,  Frau  Clara  had  felt  this 
whole  time  of  trial  quite  severely.  A  loving 
wife  is  jealous  of  her  husband's  reputation  and 
of  the  honor  due  him,  and,  as  for  herself,  she 
had  been  degraded  from  being  the  most  popular 
woman  in  the  regiment  to  the  level  of  a  social 
outcast;  but  her  proud  soul  refused  to  submit 
to  this  ostracism,  and  it  was  no  small  gratifica- 
tion to  her  that  the  wives  of  the  leading  civilians 
292 


RESIGNATIONS   ARE   IN   ORDER 

made  it  a  point  to  visit  her  at  frequent  inter- 
vals, and  with  some  ostentation.  Meanwhile 
Lieutenant  Bleibtreu,  the  ever-faithful,  was  no 
less  zealous  in  his  attendance. 

One  evening  he  again  called,  but  his  face  was 
clouded.  It  was  known  to  the  Konigs  that  the 
unpleasant  position  into  which  their  steadfast 
young  friend  had  fallen  by  championing  his 
captain's  cause  weighed  considerably  on  him, 
and  that  he  had  made  efforts  for  some  time  to 
be  transferred  somewhere  else. 

As  to  the  cause  of  his  depressed  mood,  the 
lieutenant  answered  that  his  petition  for  trans- 
ference had  been  rejected. 

"  And  what  do  you  mean  to  do  now  ?  "  said 
his  late  chief,  after  a  while. 

"  I  have  handed  in  my  resignation." 

For  a  moment  his  hosts  looked  at  him  in 
some  consternation,  but  then  Konig  reached  out 
his  hand  and  said  to  him: 

"  You  have  done  well.  I  must  confess  I  pity 
you  from  my  heart  that  you  have  to  leave  so 
fine  a  profession,  and  to  inure  yourself  to  pro- 
saic civilian  life,  with  its  eternal  questions  of 
losses  and  gains;  but  I  understand  the  motives 
293 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

which  have  induced  you  to  take  this  step.  You, 
as  a  young  officer,  have  seen  events  in  this  place 
which  even  I,  so  much  older  and  more  experi- 
enced than  you,  cannot  but  deplore  with  all  my 
heart,  and  I  can  well  understand  it  if  you  have 
lost  that  joyousness  in  the  fulfilment  of  your 
duties  which  alone  often  makes  these  duties 
bearable. 

"  I  could  have  wished  to  have  you  become  a 
valued  member  of  another  garrison,  and  to  see 
other  conditions,  better  than  those  prevailing 
here.  That  would  have  proven  to  you  that  there 
are  still  many  of  the  officers  in  our  army  who 
differ  radically  from  some  of  those  with  whom 
we  are  acquainted  here;  but  since  they  deny 
you  that  boon,  it  is  perhaps  best  for  you  to 
turn  your  back  on  the  army  entirely. 

"  I  myself  would  have  counselled  you  in  this 
sense  if  I  had  not  felt  a  delicacy  in  urging  you 
to  a  decision  which  you  might  perhaps  later 
regret;  and  to  show  you  that  I  speak  with 
deep  conviction,  I  will  tell  you  that  I  myself 
am  seriously  considering  my  resignation." 

This  time  it  was  Bleibtreu  who  opened  his 
eyes  in  astonishment. 

294 


RESIGNATIONS  ARE   IN   ORDER 

"But  why  so?"  he  stammered.  "I  under- 
stand your  request  for  transference  has  been 
granted." 

"  True ;  but  it  is  with  me  as  with  you :  my 
respect  is  gone  for  the  profession  to  which  I 
have  belonged  with  honor  for  fifteen  years. 
The  conditions  I  have  found  in  the  corps  of 
officers  here  have  shown  me  that  I  do  not  be- 
long here  by  rights.  And  who  can  tell  me  that 
I  shall  not  find  similar  conditions  in  my  next 
garrison  ?  " 

"  You  are  seeing  things  too  black,  Herr  Cap- 
tain," said  Bleibtreu. 

"  I  think  not,"  continued  Konig.  "  For  nine 
years  I  have  been  vegetating  in  this  miserable 
hole.  During  that  time  I  have  lost  the  natural 
gaiety  of  my  disposition.  I  have  lost,  or  almost 
lost,  the  manners  of  good  society.  If  I  ever  get 
into  better  society  again,  I  shall  hardly  know  how 
to  behave  myself.  I  have  become  a  boor,  and 
the  comrades  in  Berlin  or  Hanover  would  treat 
me  with  perfect  disdain  if  I  should  venture  to 
approach  them  on  a  footing  of  equality.  The 
tone  prevalent  in  our  Casino  is  enough  to  de- 
moralize almost  anybody  in  the  long  run." 

295 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

"  You  are  quite  right,  Herr  Captain,"  inter- 
jected Bleibtreu.  "  That  is  the  worst  of  these 
little  garrisons,  especially  those  located  near  the 
frontier.  After  living  in  one  of  them  for  a 
number  of  years,  one  becomes  impossible  in 
decent  society.  This  continual  gossip,  these 
ceaseless  bickerings,  are  enough  to  destroy  the 
temper  and,  to  some  extent,  the  reputation  of 
an  angel.  Add  to  this  the  fact  that  all  sorts 
of  men  '  with  a  past '  are  stuck  into  these  little 
garrisons,  and  the  mischief  is  done.  Every 
little  while  we  hear  the  phrase :  '  Punished  by 
transference  to  Moerchingen,  Lyck/  and  a 
whole  number  of  similar  holes." 

"  Quite  true,"  Konig  replied.  "  For  the  most 
part,  officers  who  are  sent  to  these  frontier  gar- 
risons are  relegated  there  to  get  rid  of  them. 
But  H.  M.  does  not  consider  the  fact  that  to 
place  such  doubtful  elements  in  large  numbers 
into  that  sort  of  garrison  renders  them  even 
more  harmful  than  if  they  were  sent  to  larger 
garrisons,  where  they  would  be  subjected  to  the 
influence  of  respectable  and  well-bred  comrades. 
That  is  how  so  many  scandalous  affairs  happen 
amongst  the  officers  near  the  frontier.  If  only 
296 


RESIGNATIONS   ARE   IN   ORDER 

the  officers  had  at  least  an  opportunity  of  cul- 
tivating respectable  society  and  of  following  a 
refined  taste,  permitting  them  regular  attend- 
ance at  good  theatres,  concerts,  and  the  like! 
But  unfortunately  that  is  not  the  case;  their 
whole  social  intercourse  and  their  sole  diver- 
sion consist  in  frequenting  the  Casino.  And 
what  can  you  expect,  then  ?  " 

"  There  is  much  truth  in  what  you  say,"  put 
in  Bleibtreu.  "  By  rights  the  transference  to  a 
frontier  regiment  ought  to  be  a  distinction, 
because  there  they  are  closest  to  the  enemy, 
and  would  have  the  first  chance  to  exercise 
their  profession  and  to  show  the  stuff  that 's 
in  them  at  the  outbreak  of  a  real  war.  But 
to-day  that  is  a  mere  illusion.  Every  day  the 
prospect  of  a  war  becomes  less,  and  therefore 
the  chances  of  marching  against  the  enemy  exist 
only  on  paper." 

When  these  two  shook  hands  on  parting  that 
night,  it  was  in  a  sad  state  of  mind.  A  couple 
of  weeks  later  Bleibtreu' s  resignation  had  been 
accepted,  and  he  doffed  his  uniform  and  stepped 
out  into  the  life  of  a  plain  citizen. 

The  Council  of  Honor  decided,  after  many 
297 


A  LITTLE  GARRISON 

delays,  that  Captain  Konig  deserved  censure  be- 
cause of  "  endangering  his  professional  honor." 
The  explanation  was  added  that  no  officer  must 
put  himself  in  such  a  position  as  to  expose 
himself  to  the  unfavorable  opinion  of  the 
world;  and  since  in  the  present  case  this  had 
been  done,  it  was  necessary  to  point  out  to 
Captain  Konig  that  his  proceeding  at  the  time 
in  question  had  been  incorrect  and  injurious  to 
his  honor  as  an  officer. 

Konig  read  this  official  communication  calmly, 
while  a  scornful  smile  played  around  his  lips; 
and  on  that  same  night  his  resignation  had  been 
filed  at  the  regimental  headquarters. 

The  colonel  himself  was  not  able  to  see  in 
his  official  capacity  this  outcome  of  his  foolish 
measures.  A  few  weeks  previous  to  the  occur- 
rence just  described,  he  himself  had  received  a 
letter;  but  that  came  from  "  above,"  and  it  was 
enclosed  in  the  fatal  "  blue  envelope." 

He  had  been  told  in  it,  in  the  well-known 
diplomatic  language  employed  for  such  occa- 
sions, that  H.  M.  fully  valued  his  faithful  ser- 
vices, but  was  unable  to  avail  himself  of  them 
any  longer. 

298 


RESIGNATIONS   ARE   IN   ORDER 

One  fine  day  a  huge  furniture  van  stopped  in 
front  of  the  fine  house  at  the  end  of  the  town, 
where  the  colonel  had  made  his  stately  home 
for  so  many  years,  and  into  its  capacious  maw 
brawny  men  packed,  shoved,  and  kicked  every- 
thing of  his  household  goods  that  was  worth 
while  transporting  to  the  far-away  district  near 
the  borders  of  Russia,  to  which  the  deposed 
military  autocrat  was  returning,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  spending  the  remainder  of  his  days 
amid  the  peaceful  calm  of  his  carrot  fields  and 
haylofts. 

When  the  colonel  and  his  wife  took  final 
leave  of  the  little  garrison,  there  was  nobody 
at  the  station  to  bid  him  a  tearful  farewell. 
His  orderly  alone  stood  on  the  platform,  loaded 
down  with  a  dozen  handbags  and  bandboxes 
the  contents  of  which  the  Frau  Colonel  re- 
quired on  her  long  journey  eastward.  When 
the  colonel,  his  wife,  and  his  extensive  family 
of  younger  children  had  bestowed  themselves 
in  the  interior  of  a  vast  compartment,  he  leaned 
out  of  the  window  and  handed  the  orderly  a 
small  coin  of  the  realm.  The  man  looked  at  it 
and  then  spat  in  disgust. 
299 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

Of  all  those  who  in  the  opening  chapter  of 
this  veracious  tale  had  assembled  around  the 
hospitable  board  of  the  Konigs,  barely  a  hand- 
ful remained  in  "  the  little  garrison."  The 
weeding-out  machine  had  been  set  in  motion  by 
H.  M.'s  private  military  cabinet,  and  lo !  this 
was  the  result. 


300 


CHAPTER  X 

UNTO   THIS   LAST 

IT  is  past  eight  o'clock  of  an  evening  in 
December.  A  hurrying  crowd  is  stream- 
ing on  its  way  homeward  through  the  arteries 
of  a  large  and  busy  city.  All  the  shop  doors 
everywhere  are  being  closed  with  a  thundering 
noise,  and  the  ear  is  assailed  by  the  rattling  of 
the  iron  shutters  by  which  thievish  hands  are  to 
be  kept  out  during  the  night  hours.  The  bril- 
liant gas  jets  and  the  incandescent  lights  in 
the  show-windows  are  turned  off  in  increasing 
numbers. 

On  the  asphalt  pavement  dense  throngs  of 
people  weary  from  their  day's  labor,  or  else 
eager  for  the  pleasures  and  excitement  which 
the  evening  has  still  in  store  for  them,  are  press- 
ing forward  at  an  even  trot  —  an  endless  pro- 
cession of  men  and  women  occupying  every 
grade  in  the  social  scale,  —  elegantly  attired 
women  and  girls,  men  dressed  in  stylish  fashion, 
301 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

others  clad  poorly  and  with  the  dust  of  their 
hard  toil  still  clinging  to  their  garments,  and, 
mingled  with  them  all,  half -grown  children,  — 
boys  and  girls,  who  had  been  busy  at  counter 
or  workshop  throughout  the  day. 

It  was  like  a  miniature  reflection  of  life  itself, 
—  life  in  a  large  city,  with  all  its  toil  and  its 
wealth,  its  misery  and  its  luxury. 

On  the  pavement  cabs  and  busses  rattled  past 
in  endless  succession;  and  elegant  carriages, 
drawn  swiftly  by  spirited  horses  and  carrying 
the  princes  of  trade  and  of  birth,  and  veiled 
ladies,  who  might  be  actresses  or  countesses, 
for  all  one  could  tell,  rolled  smoothly  along. 

Scurrying  to  and  fro  in  zigzag  line,  and 
emitting  those  peculiar  doleful  notes  invented 
for  them,  automobiles  were  mixed  up  in  appar- 
ently inextricable  confusion  with  all  this  hurly- 
burly  of  vehicles,  while  the  trams  clanged  their 
bells,  and  passengers  stood  waiting  on  the  edge 
of  the  sidewalks,  desirous  of  boarding  them, 
yet  afraid  to  risk  their  lives  in  the  turmoil  and 
bustle  of  the  intervening  space.  All  this  excite- 
ment of  metropolitan  life,  this  feverish  haste, 
and  this  pitiless  crush,  bore  the  stamp  of  intense 
302 


UNTO   THIS   LAST 

work  performed  in  a  human  ant-hill,  where 
every  one  of  the  countless  inmates  has  to  fulfil 
his  duty  unremittingly,  so  that  combined  toil 
will  produce  a  harmonious  whole. 

An  elegantly  attired  pair  turned  the  corner 
into  a  poorly  lighted  side  street,  and  then  took 
their  way  along  the  middle  of  the  road,  picking 
their  steps  among  all  the  scraps  of  paper  and 
the  refuse  of  every  kind  that  covered  it.  They 
came  to  a  halt  before  a  house  the  exterior  of 
which  showed  it  to  be  "inhabited  by  persons  in 
straitened  circumstances,  and  then  they  ascended 
the  well-worn  front  steps  leading  to  its  main  en- 
trance. The  doorkeeper  peered  out  of  his  little 
lodge  and  merely  nodded  slightly  to  the  two. 
They  had  come  here  only  a  few  days  before, 
after  leaving  the  stylish  and  expensive  Grand 
Hotel,  and  that  fact  had  furnished  the  man  with 
food  for  reflection.  They  were  former  First 
Lieutenant  Borgert  and  Frau  Leimann.  They 
had  turned  their  steps  to  the  French  capital, 
in  the  hope  to  be  there  secured  against  any  pos- 
sible police  persecution,  expecting  to  be  able 
to  earn  a  living  in  this  city  of  millions,  which 
furnishes  daily  bread  to  so  many. 

3<>3 


A   LITTLE  GARRISON 

Their  funds  had  rapidly  been  exhausted;  for 
he  who  has  not  learned  to  husband  his  resources 
in  the  days  of  plenty  will  not  be  able  to  do  so 
in  the  days  of  dire  need. 

And  so  Borgert  had  been  obliged  to  look 
about  him  for  some  remunerative  occupation. 
Hunger  is  a  hard  taskmaster,  and  hard  as  it 
seemed  to  this  man  who  had  been  reared  and 
had  lived  till  then  virtually  in  idleness,  he  had 
now  to  turn  his  hands  to  useful  work;  but  the 
employment  he  had  been  able  to  secure  had 
not  lasted  long.  Without  a  word  of  warning, 
he  had  been  dismissed  as  incapable  of  the  work 
demanded,  and  he  was  just  now  returning  from 
a  last  vain  effort  to  obtain  another  place.  They 
mounted  the  steep  stairs  and  entered  their  little 
room,  furnished  without  regard  to  even  mod- 
erate ideas  of  comfort,  and  filled  with  an  air 
which  in  the  days  gone  by  Borgert  had  never 
been  able  to  endure. 

He  threw  himself  on  the  narrow  sofa  with  a 
cry  of  despair  and  covered  his  face  with  his 
hands,  while  Frau  Leimann  cowered  before  the 
grate  on  a  small  stool. 

With  eyes  hollow  from  much  weeping  and 
304 


UNTO   THIS   LAST 

many  sleepless  nights,  she  gazed  into  the  dying 
fire.  This  was  all  the  warmth  which  they  could 
expect  that  night,  for  their  means  were  entirely 
exhausted. 

Both  of  them  kept  silence  for  a  while,  and 
then  Borgert  spoke.  The  woman  trembled  at 
the  sound  of  his  voice,  as  if  she  were  awaking 
from  a  fearful  dream. 

"  And  what  is  to  become  of  us  now  ?  "  said 
he,  very  low. 

She  did  not  answer  him,  but  continued 
to  gaze  into  the  faintly  glowing  coals,  and  a 
tear  slowly  coursed  down  her  pale,  emaciated 
face. 

"  To-morrow  we  shall  have  to  leave  this 
house,  for  we  are  unable  to  pay,  and  then  no 
other  refuge  is  left  us  but  the  streets." 

"  You  must  work,  George,"  replied  the  woman 
in  a  tear-choked  voice,  although  she  tried  to  in- 
fuse some  energy  into  her  tones. 

"Have  I  not  tried?"  replied  he,  with  a 
shrug.  "  But  have  n't  they  dismissed  me  every 
time  without  warning?  And  besides,  there  is 
no  use  for  my  trying  again.  How  can  I  work? 
I  've  never  learned  it." 

20  305 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

"  But  something  must  be  done ;  we  must  find 
a  way  out  of  this,"  Frau  Leimann  cried  out, 
and  her  voice  sounded  shrill.  "  If  you  intend 
to  leave  me  to  misery,  you  ought  not  to  have 
enticed  me  away  from  home." 

"Enticed?"  Borgert  mimicked  her.  "Who 
has  enticed  you  ?  Was  it  not  you  who  implored 
me  to  let  you  come  with  me  because  you  were 
unable  to  endure  any  longer  the  life  you  were 
leading  with  your  noble  husband  ?  " 

"  If  I  did  so,  you,  as  a  man,  ought  to  have 
had  enough  common-sense  to  talk  me  out  of 
my  intention." 

"  I  should  like  to  know  what  man  is  able  to 
talk  an  idea  out  of  the  head  of  a  woman." 

"  Do  not  speak  this  way,  George;  it  is  worse 
than  frivolous.  Summon  all  your  courage  and 
energy  and  let  us  see  what  can  be  done.  There 
must  be  a  remedy." 

"  There  is !  "  retorted  Borgert,  throwing  a 
loaded  revolver  on  the  crazy  table. 

A  tremor  shot  through  the  woman,  and  for  a 

moment  she  leaned  against  the  wall  as  if  ready 

to  swoon,   while  her  wide-opened  eyes   stared 

with  fear  at  the  little  instrument,  the  glittering 

306 


UNTO   THIS   LAST 

steel  of  which  reflected  the  glowing  embers  in 
the  grate. 

"  By  all  that  is  sacred,"  her  voice  came  hys- 
terically, "  are  you  out  of  your  senses !  " 

"  On  the  contrary,"  replied  Borgert,  coolly ; 
"  it  is  the  only  way  out  of  all  our  difficulties, 
and  it  is  not  the  first  time  I  have  had  the 
thought.  Is  it  not  better  to  put  an  end  to  this 
dog's  life  than  to  die  by  inches  in  penury  and 
distress  ?  " 

Frau  Leimann  stepped  musingly  towards  the 
grate,  as  if  its  warmth  were  needed  to  drive  the 
thought  of  approaching  death  out  of  her  head 
and  to  pour  new  life  into  her  trembling  limbs. 
Her  gaze  hung  fixedly  on  a  faded  engraving 
which  was  over  the  mantel,  and  which  repre- 
sented a  banquet  held  by  one  of  the  ancient 
English  kings.  With  glassy  eyes  she  stared  at 
this  picture  representing  the  joys  of  living. 
She  did  not  notice  that  Borgert  had  followed 
her  with  his  feline  step. 

The  report  of  his  pistol  was  heard,  quick  and 
sharp,  and  with  a  dying  moan  the  woman  sank 
to  her  knees.  Her  left  hand  felt  for  the  warm- 
ing flame,  as  if  searching  for  its  aid,  and  the 

307 


A   LITTLE   GARRISON 

tiny  bluish  tongues  of  fire  wavered  in  their 
reflection  on  the  surface  of  this  white,  plump 
hand  from  which  a  rill  of  life-blood  was  slowly 
running,  drop  by  drop,  into  the  ashes  of  the 
grate.  For  a  moment  only  her  slayer  gazed 
terror-stricken  at  the  lifeless  body;  then  he 
pointed  the  weapon  at  himself,  and  a  second 
shot  put  an  end  to  his  existence.  Death 
squared  with  his  mighty  hand  all  the  guilt 
and  all  the  debts  he  had  contracted  during 
his  riotous  life. 

When  the  two  corpses,  four  days  later,  were 
carted  to  the  cemetery  of  Bagneux,  the  Potter's 
Field  of  Paris,  and  there  consigned  to  the  com- 
mon grave  of  the  destitute,  nobody  knew  and 
nobody  cared  who  these  two  unknown  strangers 
had  been.  Nobody  suspected  the  drama  of  their 
lives  or  the  sin  which  had  hurried  them  to 
death. 


THE   END. 


